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Ventura County Professional Firefighters' Association
The Ventura County Professional Firefighters' Association established its Premium Reimbursement Plan Benefit Trust in 1996 to cover post-retirement medical...
Ventura County Professional Firefighters' Association
The Ventura County Professional Firefighters' Association established its Premium Reimbursement Plan Benefit Trust in 1996 to cover post-retirement medical costs for firefighters employed by the Ventura County Fire Department. The trust operates as a private-sector ERISA plan, distinct from the benefits administered by the Ventura County Employees' Retirement Association. As IAFF Local 1364, VCPFA sits within the broader International Association of Fire Fighters, the Washington, D.C.-based labor union that represents over 330,000 firefighters and paramedics across the U.S. and Canada. The benefit trust pursues a growth-oriented allocation, making capital commitments to external fund managers and direct co-investments. Its strategy leans on exposure to private markets through fund vehicles while maintaining a co-investment sleeve that allows participation alongside general partners. The portfolio is small by institutional standards — approximately $17 million in estimated assets — which dictates a manager-selection model built on external relationships rather than a dedicated internal investment staff. The trust's investment activity runs through a board of trustees drawn from the local's leadership, with spending rules governed by ERISA and plan documents that limit deployment to the reimbursement of qualified retiree medical expenses. The association itself is the active bargaining representative for roughly 600 sworn firefighters and paramedics stationed across Ventura County. Beyond the benefit trust, VCPFA sponsors Firefighters for Better Government, a political action committee that supports candidates and ballot measures affecting firefighter pay, staffing, and retirement security. Its philanthropic arm, VCPFA Charities, organizes community-facing programs and emergency assistance initiatives. These adjacent structures operate independently of the trust corpus but draw from overlapping leadership, keeping the benefit plan's governance closely tied to the union's electoral and charitable agendas. Structurally, the VCPFA trust is a member-paid medical reimbursement vehicle, not a defined-benefit pension fund or a discretionary endowment. That narrow mandate constrains its investment policy to a time horizon set by the retiree healthcare spend rate, requiring a liquidity profile that can meet annual premium reimbursements without requiring participant contributions. For institutional allocators mapping the California labor fund landscape, it represents a small but operationally specific co-investor that writes checks from a union health-benefit pool rather than from a general pension account.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1996
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Camarillo
Corporate office
Camarillo, CA, United States
Principals
Kevin Aguayo
President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at VCPFA's benefit trust?
Investment decisions are overseen by the board of trustees of the Premium Reimbursement Plan Benefit Trust. The board is composed of leadership from IAFF Local 1364, including President Kevin Aguayo. Day-to-day manager selection and monitoring are typically handled through a consultant relationship rather than a dedicated internal investment team, consistent with the trust's small asset base.
How is VCPFA's benefit trust different from the county pension fund?
VCERA is the defined-benefit pension plan for Ventura County employees, including firefighters. VCPFA's trust is a separate ERISA-governed medical premium reimbursement plan funded through member earmarks and collective bargaining agreements. They have distinct boards, investment policies, and asset pools. VCPFA's trust is orders of magnitude smaller and targets growth and co-investment allocations, whereas VCERA runs a diversified multi-billion-dollar institutional portfolio.
Does VCPFA participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The trust commits to both external fund managers and direct co-investment opportunities. Its strategy is described as growth-oriented with a co-investment component, suggesting a combination of primary fund commitments and side-by-side direct investments alongside general partners. Given the trust's limited scale, fund commitments likely skew toward smaller and midsize managers.
What is the relationship between VCPFA and the International Association of Fire Fighters?
VCPFA is IAFF Local 1364, a chartered affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the largest firefighter union in North America. The IAFF provides national-level advocacy, legal support, and bargaining resources, but the local retains full autonomy over its benefit trust governance. The trust's investment policy is set locally by VCPFA's board, not by the international union.
Does VCPFA maintain any philanthropic or political structures?
Yes. VCPFA Charities runs community outreach and emergency relief programs. VCPFA also sponsors Firefighters for Better Government, a political action committee that supports candidates and measures aligned with firefighter interests. These entities are legally separate from the benefit trust and do not draw on its assets, but they share overlapping leadership from the local's executive board.
What is the geographic focus of the trust's investments?
Public records do not disclose a specific geographic mandate, but labor-affiliated benefit trusts of this scale typically invest through U.S.-focused private equity, venture capital, and real asset funds. The trust's Camarillo, California headquarters and its exclusive service to Ventura County firefighters suggest a portfolio concentrated domestically, with possible exposure to California-based managers and opportunities.
Is the trust open to co-investment alongside external institutional partners?
The trust's stated co-investment posture implies willingness to participate in direct deals alongside general partners. However, with an estimated $17 million in assets, its co-investment check sizes are likely modest. External allocators and GPs should treat it as a small, relationship-driven co-investor that operates within the California labor fund network.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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