While Santa Barbara County waits for the July civil trial with American Medical Response, it is still moving forward with plans for a multi-provider ambulance system with the Fire Department as one of its providers.

AMR, the longtime provider for most county areas, challenged the new permit system in court when the Board of Supervisors approved the Fire Department’s application and denied AMR’s application in September.

Superior Court Judge Donna Geck sided with AMR and issued a preliminary injunction for the county’s ordinance and permit system. Her ruling essentially enforces the status-quo AMR contract until the case goes to trial.

“During the term of the preliminary injunction, the county will not be applying or enforcing the ordinance, or the permit system,” said Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, a spokeswoman for the County Executive Office. “At this time, the county is continuing to prepare for a multi-provider system.”

That indicates the county won’t backtrack to an exclusive system and solicit bids, but instead will pursue a non-exclusive system for ambulance coverage. 

County leaders reiterated that the Fire Department is still working on its transition plan to become a provider, just with a longer timeline – July rather than March 1 – because of the lawsuit.

The infrastructure has to be built almost from scratch – staffing, ambulance fleet, crew quarters, and more.  

The supervisors approved a $18 million transition plan under the assumption County Fire would be the only provider for 9-1-1 emergency medical response, inter-facility transfers and critical-care transports.

Depending on the lawsuit outcome, there could be more than one provider.

“The number of employees and vehicles required will depend on the number of providers,” Gerckens Buttitta told Noozhawk.

Lawsuit Trial Scheduled For July

When it denied AMR’s permit, the Board of Supervisors said the company’s permit application didn’t adequately address how AMR would staff remote areas such as the Cuyama Valley – which it doesn’t serve now . The board also concluded that the application “demonstrates relatively few community benefits.”

In its lawsuit, AMR alleged the county overstepped its discretion and created a de-facto exclusive operating area by granting permits to only one of two qualified applicants.

The state Attorney General’s Office weighed in with an amicus brief, and said if AMR proves its claims, “the county’s actions appear to side-step the oversight mandated by the EMS Act.”

In her court ruling, Geck split the case into two parts, and the upcoming trial will address the first two causes of action, which allege the county violated the state EMS Act through its new ordinance and permitting system for ambulance services.

During a very brief case management meeting last week, attorneys on both sides agreed to a schedule leading up to the trial-by-paperwork, including discovery and trial briefing deadlines.

The trial and hearing won’t have live testimony or exhibits introduced beyond the ones already submitted, according to Superior Court documents. Attorneys will be able to provide oral argument as the court “directs or allows.”

AMR has been the ambulance services provider for most of Santa Barbara County for about 40 years.

After the ruling was issued, the company said in a brief statement: “Although the litigation is not over, AMR’s top priority remains serving the Santa Barbara County community with the same high quality prehospital care it has provided for decades.

“The dedicated team of AMR Santa Barbara has proudly served with excellence and remains steadfast to continue to serve the communities of Santa Barbara County in their roles with AMR.”

The Fire Chiefs Association of Santa Barbara County said in a statement Tuesday that they’re “disappointed” in the court ruling.

The association will keep advocating for County Fire to become an ambulance provider and “will continue to daylight the current system’s shortcomings,” wrote President Chris Mailes, the Santa Barbara city fire chief. “We have always advocated for more units, more accountability, and revenue reinvestment locally.”  

New Dispatch Center Opening Unaffected By Civil Case, County Says

The tentative trial schedule means that the county will likely open the Regional Fire Communications Center around the same time there’s a provider change for ambulance services.

The new dispatch center is estimated to open in July and that is not affected by the litigation, Gerckens Buttitta said.

Most fire and emergency medical services dispatchers are consolidating in one facility that is being built adjacent to the county’s Emergency Operations Center at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road.  

Right now, local fire departments have their own dispatch centers, and there’s a joint County Fire and Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at the sheriff’s headquarters complex near Santa Barbara.