Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes says the new Regional Fire Communications Center will be 'state of the art' when it opens next year.
Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes says the new Regional Fire Communications Center will be 'state of the art' when it opens next year. Credit: Jacob Davis / Noozhawk photo

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and the county’s fire departments came together on Wednesday for the groundbreaking of the new Regional Fire Communications Center, which will consolidate fire and emergency medical dispatch into one location.

The new center, an expansion of the current Emergency Operations Center at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road, has started construction and is expected to be completed in spring 2024.

The goal of the new center is to streamline the communication between the seven fire departments in Santa Barbara County and centralize all fire and emergency medical services into one dispatch center.

Dispatchers will immediately task fire engines and paramedics in the closest proximity to the emergency, regardless of jurisdiction.

A rendering of the expanded Emergency Operations Center and Regional Fire Communications Center at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road.
A rendering of the expanded Emergency Operations Center and Regional Fire Communications Center at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road. Credit: RRM Design Group photo

“This is a monumental change for our county,” said Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes.

The center will be the hub for all fire and emergency medical response, with dispatchers handling a call throughout the entire incident rather than sending it to a different jurisdiction’s dispatch center. “One call, one dispatcher,” he said.

“The entire county will benefit from our seamless response of fire units across all our jurisdictions,” Mailes said.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams calls the groundbreaking a 'momentous day.'
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams calls the groundbreaking a ‘momentous day.’ Credit: Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo

The Regional Fire Communications Center will have “unparalleled integration,” First District Supervisor Das Williams said, crediting the “fiscal and political will” of his colleagues and previous supervisors to make this project happen.

“No one cares about the color of the fire truck when you’re in a crisis and no one cares about the logo on the side of the vehicle,” Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson said Wednesday. “That’s why we are unifying this process.”

The center will service seven fire departments within Santa Barbara County: Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Montecito Fire Protection District, Lompoc Fire Department, Guadalupe Fire Protection District, and Santa Maria Fire Department.

County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig emphasizes the importance of the shift to one integrated dispatch center for fire and emergency medical calls.
County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig emphasizes the importance of the shift to one integrated dispatch center for fire and emergency medical calls. Credit: Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo

A larger Joint Information Center and Call Center for the EOC is included in the project to better aid people during emergencies.

The Emergency Operations Center activates a Joint Information Center and Call Center to answer questions from the public and the media during emergencies. After-action reports from the Refugio Oil Spill, Thomas Fire, Montecito debris flows, COVID-19 pandemic and other local emergencies point to the need for larger facilities, said Kelly Hubbard, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.

The expansion will boost the Joint Information Center to 16 seats from 12, and the Call Center to 17 seats “from a measly four,” she said. In the past, EOC staff have expanded Call Center capacity by moving phones and people into other rooms and offices, taking over as much space as they could, she said.

The regional communications center project was designed by RRM Design Group and is being built by Edwards Construction Group.

The project is slated to be completed in spring 2024 and is expected to cost around $17.6 million, according to the county.

Managing editor Giana Magnoli contributed reporting to this story.

Jacob Davis is a Noozhawk contributing writer and UC Santa Barbara student.