After being left very little legal wiggle room, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on February 11 to grant exclusive ambulance rights to American Medical Response West (AMR), which has operated as the only ambulance provider in the county for more than 40 years. The newly approved contract promises shorter response times and increased oversight to ensure a high quality of care for patients. The county’s firefighters, however, showed up to the Board of Supervisors meeting with a bone to pick.
“Our disappointment … cannot be overstated,” said Lompoc Fire Chief Brian Fallon. Firefighters from Montecito, Carpinteria/Summerland, and Santa Maria joined in the sentiment, blasting the Board for approving this new contract that had previously been granted to Santa Barbara County Fire.
“This contract is the best that we can do for now,” said Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “We’ve contorted ourselves every which way to try and get through this.”