Beware of government taking over a private industry

During the Santa Barbara Fire and Police Oversight Commission’s first meeting on Jan. 26, both Police Chief Kelly Gordon and Fire Chief Chris Mailes gave an update on their departments.

The most interesting item discussed during this introductory meeting was not only the “Fire Department’s 101” and the goals for 2023. As the commission will consider the annual budgets and make recommendations to the Santa Barbara City Council and City Administrator Rebecca Bjork, Chief Mailes discussed the push to end the city’s 27 year-long contracts with the American Medical Response and endorse the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, who has also put a bid in for the contract.

The recommendation for this $100 million to $140 million contract (some figures are 200-350 million for the 10 years) is to remain with the private company AMR. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department filed a protest and then an appeal. Chief Mailes countered, “Every single fire department in the entire county is behind a county-run ambulance system.”

That’s funny because aren’t the majority of our communities served by the county fire department?