The Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District will take over ambulance services in Santa Barbara County starting next year.
This comes after the Board of Supervisors voted earlier this year to not extend the current ambulance contract held by private contractor AMR.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reports the approval for three ambulance provider permits came Tuesday, Sept. 19.
In a letter to the community, Fire Chief Mark Hartwig says the permits for emergency medical calls, interfacility transports and special event standby, and critical care transport “will provide the fire district the opportunity to expand our emergency medical services (EMS) for transports across the County of Santa Barbara.”
Hartwig says this will allow them to dispatch the closest, most appropriate medical resource through a Regional Fire Communication Center, provide faster response to Priority 1 calls, add new ambulances and equipment countywide, add ambulance surge units located throughout the county, provide social work outreach for the homeless and more.
AMR will still be handling ambulance services in much of the county through February 2024. Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District coverage will begin on March 1.
The board previously said their decision to not extend the contract with AMR was based on their desire to improve the already existing EMS system, including reinvestment in the community by providing more ambulances for 911 response and dedicated inter-facility transport ambulances, community paramedicine, and community and financial oversight at no additional cost to the community.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department already provides paramedic ambulance transport services for UCSB, Vandenberg Village, New Cuyama, and the Highway 166 corridor.
Community workshops will be taking place at a later date for information on how to become part of the fire protection district.
