Murky Circumstances…
… of Santa Barbara County’s New Ambulance Contract Should Raise Alarms.
If you haven’t been paying attention to the decisions the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is making regarding the county’s ambulance contract, I suggest you start looking into it and making your voices heard.
I, for one, do not want to get caught in a situation in which my emergency medical care is hindered because the county Fire Department and American Medical Response are confused by their roles and responsibilities with the new permit system.
Nor do I want to become a victim in the process of learning that the new permit system is ineffective.
Regardless of how the new permit system will work, the power the Board of Supervisors has given itself here baffles me.
The five supervisors have taken the decision of who determines who receives the ambulance contract out of the hands of experts and have given it to themselves — increasing their power over subject matter in which none of them is formally educated or has professional working experience.
What makes them think they know what is best when it comes to our emergency medical care?
When you apply for a job at the most senior level of an organization, there is usually a requirement of an advanced degree and at least 10 years of professional experience.
These are the minimum basic requirements that most companies consider someone to be qualified to make impactful business decisions.
Why would our supervisors take the decision away from people who have these necessary qualifications in health care and emergency services and give it to themselves?
Cottage Health, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, Marian Regional Medical Center and the contract review panel — consisting of a board-certified emergency physician, a hospital executive, a retired metropolitan fire chief, the current public utility ambulance system administrator and a community — member all favored AMR over county fire and expressed concern about the permit system.
Why would the supervisors go against the recommendation of many qualified experts?
There are only two reasons I can think of: power and money.
The vote to take the decision away from experts gives more unjustified (in my opinion) authority to our elected officials. Giving the contract to county fire gives those elected officials more opportunities to divert money away from other necessary resources and reasons to raise taxes.
Do you think raises won’t be given out to everyone in the county who has to take on more work to make the county ambulance system work?
Due to lack of transparency on the issue, I’m inclined to believe there is something to hide.
Andy Caldwell, executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture & Business, has provided the supervisors with opportunities to defend their decision, in which they have deflected his questioning.
The county buried Caldwell with paperwork to distract him from the fact they did not provide what he asked for under the California Public Records Act in the timeframe it was required, and the more he inquired, the more the players seemingly got defensive.
Whether you agree with Caldwell’s political views or not, these are all suspicious reactive behaviors.
Admittedly, I could be way off base. But perception is reality, and the supervisors are choosing to remain quiet rather than educate us on the reasons for their decisions.
Given the circumstances, if you’ve been paying attention, what else are we supposed to believe? We’re only getting part of the story.
I encourage county fire, county staff or the Board of Supervisors to offer justification for their reasoning. I, and many other concerned health-care consumers throughout the county, are ready and willing to listen.
**Originally published in Noozhawk.