Thank you, Andy. Yesterday with all the heated discussions here about Kamala, I kept wondering why these pro-Kamala commenters kept insisting that Trump is the problem. You, Andy, remind us that Trump is not the problem. The Leftist Dem uniparty is the problem. On the national level, on the state level, on the city level, on the most basic human level that defines civilization. Why can't these pro-Kamalites stop for one second and look at their own city - a jewel that is being destroyed by the Democratic government? When I read your column today about the level of corruption and ineptitude in just one aspect of Santa Barbara life, all I can think is that the people in power don't care about us, their lowly taxpayers. In fact, when I deal with what they're doing to Goleta with the airport and the Old Town mess, and downtown Santa Barbara and that mess, I realize they hate us. They just wish all of us would move away so they could turn Santa Barbara into the high rise monstrosity of their Leftist real estate dreams. As for maintaining their future dream globanonymous 15-minute city … well, that doesn't pertain to any place anyone might absolutely have to get to, like a hospital.
Yes, a ride in a AMR ambulance, even for a few blocks can cost thousands. Ambulance fees are rarely, if ever covered by private insurance, so patients typically have to pony up. The out of pocket expense for air ambulance (I believe a different company) can be in the tens of thousands, again typically not covered by insurance.
In scrutinizing the cost benefit analysis, what would be the cost to the taxpayer for added salaries, benefits and pensions by adding dozens of Union represented firefighter/paramedics to the current ranks by virtue of eliminating AMR services?
You know in Santa Barbara County, Calstar (the medical helicopter) has a membership that is a annual cost (cheap like $120 a year for your entire family) that covers what your insurance won't on medical flights. It also covers other county's that calstar or it's affiliates operate in.
A family member of mine had to be airlifted and their insurance did not cover the whole flight, but because they were a Calstar member they did not have to pay anything out of pocket. ZERO!
If you want to see a ball park idea of what the taxpayers are going to pay, think about the money county fire has already asked for... to buy 35 ambulances, pay to hire people for the ambulance to be staffed, and for the dispatch center. That's just the start to all this.
For years, there was a back-and-forth between insurance companies and ambulance providers, where the insurance would cover only a portion of the bill, unilaterally deciding what they considered a fair price. The patient was then left to pay the remaining balance, along with their co-pay. Insurance companies often justified this by claiming the ambulance provider was "out of network." What they failed to mention is that there are no "network" providers operating within the 911 system, and patients who call 911 have no control over which provider responds—making this reasoning quite flawed.
However, starting this year, insurance companies are now required to accept ambulance fees set by local governments, so patients should only be responsible for their deductible.
So, let me see if I understand this. Fire Leadership/Chief wants to dump AMR, resulting in a lawsuit against the County. Then hire dozens of FF/PM’s and assume those future pensions, even though the County is over a $1 Billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
Continue to charge patients for ambulance services while at the same time, receiving tax monies. Then the BOS blindly supports County Fire’s purchase of unauthorized equipment and the BOS in return gets political cover during elections, from the Union?
Do I have this right? This is so FUBAR…that’s right, this is beyond repair!
Admittedly, I am not sure I understand all the nuances of this issue as there are multiple moving parts. It would seem County Fire jumped the gun and purchased 35 EMS units while under contract with AMR and are now trying to breach the contract claiming “safety concerns?”
I wonder why they did that? Was it solely for public safety or was there something more nefarious? Could it have anything to do with controlling the service and adding to the Firefighter Union roles? This, while the taxpayers are left holding the bag for purchasing, maintaining and storing millions of dollars worth of emergency equipment? Who signed off on the Purchase Order for the 35 ambulances? Seems to me a Grand Jury ought to be asking that question.
Andy makes reference to the lack of reporting by the press. My question is; what press? We have no viable newspaper here locally, unless you count the weekly, lefty rag, “The Independent.”
Ya, I’m sure the “Angry Poodle “ will get right on this! Yes, the local “press” is either nonexistent, too lazy or doesn’t want to make any waves.
Also worth mentioning is the local “One805 Live” festival, rock concert, wine tasting and celebrity bash. Last year they even had Royalty show up! Where do all the proceeds go? I read where portions go for mental health counseling for First Responders suffering from PTSD? Hey, I am all for supporting our First Responders, but there needs to be full and clear transparency of anything involving fundraising for public services.
I am reminded of the legal term “Cui Bono”…who stands to benefit? Clearly, the public is NOT benefiting from the confusion in emergency services this is causing nor the enormous cost burden.
AMR is a private organization....each and every new county ambulance types will be gov. employees requiring long term benefits and retirement on the back of an already broken middle class taxpayer.
Who does seiu back during elections? Think about it.
Thank you, Andy, for a eye opening article. I have not been in the loop of the issues you raised and am happy to see them laid out in good fashion. I do have to wonder, though, if it might not be a good idea, after reading Jim Henderson's experiences with AMR, if we should not have another private company in to break up the monopoly . On the other hand that might be opening up a Pandora's Box.
So the fire association finagled a multi-provider system, then said such a system would harm the public and now expects the solution to be excluding AMR from further participation and competitive bidding.
Did the ambulance purchases and dispatch center build out occur before the decision to have a multi-provider system?
The Fire Department in general have less structure fires then back in the day, due to advances in construction and other changes to the building codes. That's why fire departments are now doing EMS. And it's funny to see Dave's comment, because I know if you call 911 during a fire (that is near you) for a medical emergency, you will get an ambulance and possibly a fire truck from another area. This happens more then people know. As it says in there name it's fire first, ems second (SB Fire / Paramedic). So there I helped you with the research part. I have more stats, but I think this makes the point.
I want to start by expressing my support and appreciation for the Current staff and their mission. While I agree with the majority of what is published here, I believe this article missed the mark.
AMR’s lawsuit centers on administrative processes because, frankly, that's their only viable angle. However, claiming that the SBSO dispatch center is sufficient overlooks some critical facts. There's a reason not all agencies in the region use the current dispatch system, and agency attrition is a key factor that should be considered before making such a broad statement.
I do not support government overreach or any form of political maneuvering that resembles communism. However, placing emergency transport under the Fire Department, which is already mandated to provide EMS services, makes practical sense. It would result in faster response times, increased operational efficiency, and a significant boost in vital staff resources.
Let me emphasize this point: AMR is a private company, and like any private enterprise, its primary mandate is profit. The SB County contract is extremely lucrative for AMR, and this case could set a precedent for the entire state and potentially the country.
This issue is more complex than a simple case of government overreach. There's fault on all sides. However, there is also an opportunity here for the County and AMR to operate in partnership. By working together, we can achieve the best possible service for our community, which should be the ultimate goal.
If this is a lucrative contract then why did the county only get two bidders on the contract. And you say fire would be faster to respond, what's your evidence or proof of this other then what you hear from others. In that third party evaluation of all county emergency service it did not show that the fire department was faster even at its current job. So how can you say they would be faster. Also if you ran a business would you not want to make money as well. Almost all of the hospitals in the santa barbara county are privately own and want to make a profit too. Should the county go after them next? Let's be real everyone wants to complain, or talk about AMR, but if this was your company and the county tried to take over your contact you would be upset, especially if county are making promises that the can not support.
How many companies are there who would bid? My evidence is first hand experience. There are many more dept. locations than AMR has. In rural areas AMR response is much slower.
Again, I am not making the case for gov. overreach. Of course I would want to make money as a business owner. In this case we are talking about publicly funded vital lifesaving services.
Hospitals are already quasi government business akin to a utility.
AMR upcharges anywhere they can, drugs, special services, COGS, personnel and maintenance, the list goes on.
What is your support for the claim the county is making promises they cannot support?
Please understand I am stating there is room for both to operate. AMR's record in the county is far from spotless. Having 2 operators would make both more accountable. Competition drives efficiency.
I suspect the corruption runs even deeper than Andy mentioned. Let's not forget that the County likely shelled out a hefty sum to assess its EMS system, only to have the consulting firm proclaim it as one of the best in the state. There was even a Board meeting where they initially decided to put the ambulance contract out to bid. The consulting firm and what felt like every doctor in town urged the county to stick with AMR, saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
But then, the fire agencies insisted on a competitive bid, eyeing the contract like it was the last slice of pizza. And guess what? They lost. By a landslide. Twice, they tried to overturn the decision through the appeals process and failed both times. But when the EMS agency went to finalize the RFP, the Board, bowing to pressure from the fire unions, decided to scrap the whole thing.
Just because all the Fire Chiefs/Fire Unions want something doesn’t mean it’s automatically a good idea—sometimes it just means they all stand to benefit, whether it’s more power, more money, or both. I guess the same can be said about the Board of Supervisors.
If you can't read between the line with the ambulance contract and the dispatch center, county fire and the other fire agency in the county want to be the Supreme leaders in it. They don't like to share or work with others outside of the fire service. Truth is if you look at the previous department that Hartwig came from you will see this is not the first time he has fought with AMR and caused conflicts within that county along with one of the other chief in the county who has always spoke ill of AMR even though he was previously employed there and the many years as a paramedic he speaks of were at that agency. It also shows that those elected officials in the board of supervisor are poor managers as you see now, the county spent the money on the ambulance, and then had to get more money to help the supposed better option to hire people to staff the ambulance they bid on. How is that possible. Really you make back door deals to try and take power under the lies of for the people. What happend to transparency and honesty that all the chiefs in SB county talked about in these meetings. There is so much more I could say, but sadly I believe it's a waist of time. Our county politicians are corrupt and this shows it. People open your eyes these are your tax dollars the county uses and your getting nothing in return because you will still be billed because someone has to pay for the ambulance service whether it be AMR who you do not pay with your taxes or it be the fire department which you do pay with taxes and you will still be billed if they transport you.
My experience with AMR has been a nightmare with how they rip people off! Three occasions have left me wanting to back the Fire Chiefs in any way possible. AMR, is more concerned about profits than service. A one mile ambulance ride shouldn't cost $6,000.00! Another incident with my wife they chose to take her Santa Barbara when Solvang would have been the clear choice and was told so by both the hospitals!! AMR tries to administer as many procedures as possible when it is not necessary for billing purposes. AMR is not our best choice!
It's funny you say that because you have not experienced what it will be like with the fire department running the ambulance. So your comments are one sided. In case you didn't watch the board of supervisor meetings the county contract sets the price of your transport and the fire department will want the same money also. This service will not be covered by your taxes. The take them to another hospital other then closest facility is based on what the needs your family member needs. Solvang may not have been able to give her what she needs so they took her to the higher level of care. I'm sorry but solvang cottage hospital always redirects ambulance to santa barbara so I have a hard time believing they would say anything about it. My friend was taken to the solvang site and then told he would be transported via ambulance so that he could be monitored as he went to santa barbara. He was in med/surgery over night then discharged. So I've seen both sides of it.
AMR is a monopolized global circus who does not focus on the patient and they treat their employees like trash and pay them crap. I trust County Fire before American Mess Response.
They did do the bid process, AMR, and Couty Fire were the only two that bid I believe. AMR won the bid, so the County Chief in a email told the board to not go with the bid and do a muti provider system with permits. That's when the county board gave only County Fire the permit saying they were the only ones to meet the boards requirements, which is suspicious considering they manage the County Fire Department.
Thank you for keeping this issue current.
Soooo, follow the money? Whose pockets are being fleeced with all this wasteful spending?
Or are the people in charge just this incompetent?
And tax payers are paying for these lawsuits.
Thank you for keeping this story of corruption front and center.
The Supervisors are complicit and hiding under their desks.
Hello Mike, They, the SB So-Called-Leaders just do not hide they also conceal.
Kind of like swimming in the Ocean on a nice sunny day and all of a sudden
a Great-White hits you from below with absolutely no warning whatsoever.
Howard, member of a Military Family
Thank you, Andy. Yesterday with all the heated discussions here about Kamala, I kept wondering why these pro-Kamala commenters kept insisting that Trump is the problem. You, Andy, remind us that Trump is not the problem. The Leftist Dem uniparty is the problem. On the national level, on the state level, on the city level, on the most basic human level that defines civilization. Why can't these pro-Kamalites stop for one second and look at their own city - a jewel that is being destroyed by the Democratic government? When I read your column today about the level of corruption and ineptitude in just one aspect of Santa Barbara life, all I can think is that the people in power don't care about us, their lowly taxpayers. In fact, when I deal with what they're doing to Goleta with the airport and the Old Town mess, and downtown Santa Barbara and that mess, I realize they hate us. They just wish all of us would move away so they could turn Santa Barbara into the high rise monstrosity of their Leftist real estate dreams. As for maintaining their future dream globanonymous 15-minute city … well, that doesn't pertain to any place anyone might absolutely have to get to, like a hospital.
I agree completely.
Yes, a ride in a AMR ambulance, even for a few blocks can cost thousands. Ambulance fees are rarely, if ever covered by private insurance, so patients typically have to pony up. The out of pocket expense for air ambulance (I believe a different company) can be in the tens of thousands, again typically not covered by insurance.
In scrutinizing the cost benefit analysis, what would be the cost to the taxpayer for added salaries, benefits and pensions by adding dozens of Union represented firefighter/paramedics to the current ranks by virtue of eliminating AMR services?
You know in Santa Barbara County, Calstar (the medical helicopter) has a membership that is a annual cost (cheap like $120 a year for your entire family) that covers what your insurance won't on medical flights. It also covers other county's that calstar or it's affiliates operate in.
A family member of mine had to be airlifted and their insurance did not cover the whole flight, but because they were a Calstar member they did not have to pay anything out of pocket. ZERO!
If you want to see a ball park idea of what the taxpayers are going to pay, think about the money county fire has already asked for... to buy 35 ambulances, pay to hire people for the ambulance to be staffed, and for the dispatch center. That's just the start to all this.
For years, there was a back-and-forth between insurance companies and ambulance providers, where the insurance would cover only a portion of the bill, unilaterally deciding what they considered a fair price. The patient was then left to pay the remaining balance, along with their co-pay. Insurance companies often justified this by claiming the ambulance provider was "out of network." What they failed to mention is that there are no "network" providers operating within the 911 system, and patients who call 911 have no control over which provider responds—making this reasoning quite flawed.
However, starting this year, insurance companies are now required to accept ambulance fees set by local governments, so patients should only be responsible for their deductible.
So, let me see if I understand this. Fire Leadership/Chief wants to dump AMR, resulting in a lawsuit against the County. Then hire dozens of FF/PM’s and assume those future pensions, even though the County is over a $1 Billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
Continue to charge patients for ambulance services while at the same time, receiving tax monies. Then the BOS blindly supports County Fire’s purchase of unauthorized equipment and the BOS in return gets political cover during elections, from the Union?
Do I have this right? This is so FUBAR…that’s right, this is beyond repair!
Is this not another example of malfeasance in office! Or, inter-departmental corruption?
Are the taxpayers and voters powerless to act? After all, it is their money going down the drain.
Admittedly, I am not sure I understand all the nuances of this issue as there are multiple moving parts. It would seem County Fire jumped the gun and purchased 35 EMS units while under contract with AMR and are now trying to breach the contract claiming “safety concerns?”
I wonder why they did that? Was it solely for public safety or was there something more nefarious? Could it have anything to do with controlling the service and adding to the Firefighter Union roles? This, while the taxpayers are left holding the bag for purchasing, maintaining and storing millions of dollars worth of emergency equipment? Who signed off on the Purchase Order for the 35 ambulances? Seems to me a Grand Jury ought to be asking that question.
Andy makes reference to the lack of reporting by the press. My question is; what press? We have no viable newspaper here locally, unless you count the weekly, lefty rag, “The Independent.”
Ya, I’m sure the “Angry Poodle “ will get right on this! Yes, the local “press” is either nonexistent, too lazy or doesn’t want to make any waves.
Also worth mentioning is the local “One805 Live” festival, rock concert, wine tasting and celebrity bash. Last year they even had Royalty show up! Where do all the proceeds go? I read where portions go for mental health counseling for First Responders suffering from PTSD? Hey, I am all for supporting our First Responders, but there needs to be full and clear transparency of anything involving fundraising for public services.
I am reminded of the legal term “Cui Bono”…who stands to benefit? Clearly, the public is NOT benefiting from the confusion in emergency services this is causing nor the enormous cost burden.
Was waiting for someone to get to this.
AMR is a private organization....each and every new county ambulance types will be gov. employees requiring long term benefits and retirement on the back of an already broken middle class taxpayer.
Who does seiu back during elections? Think about it.
Make sure you’re playing chess and not checkers when you consider the opinions and the players involved in this article.
Thank you, Andy, for a eye opening article. I have not been in the loop of the issues you raised and am happy to see them laid out in good fashion. I do have to wonder, though, if it might not be a good idea, after reading Jim Henderson's experiences with AMR, if we should not have another private company in to break up the monopoly . On the other hand that might be opening up a Pandora's Box.
"...their own pants on fire." Very funny.
So the fire association finagled a multi-provider system, then said such a system would harm the public and now expects the solution to be excluding AMR from further participation and competitive bidding.
Did the ambulance purchases and dispatch center build out occur before the decision to have a multi-provider system?
This story focuses around the hidden fact that the already highly paid firemen are UNION people
looking to expand their power.
Would be interesting to know truly how many engulfed structure fires occur each year in S.B. county.
Not just the occasional large "weed" fires in the back country.
The Fire Department in general have less structure fires then back in the day, due to advances in construction and other changes to the building codes. That's why fire departments are now doing EMS. And it's funny to see Dave's comment, because I know if you call 911 during a fire (that is near you) for a medical emergency, you will get an ambulance and possibly a fire truck from another area. This happens more then people know. As it says in there name it's fire first, ems second (SB Fire / Paramedic). So there I helped you with the research part. I have more stats, but I think this makes the point.
County Fire doesn’t just respond to fires. Hopefully you’ll never need them. You should do your research.
I want to start by expressing my support and appreciation for the Current staff and their mission. While I agree with the majority of what is published here, I believe this article missed the mark.
AMR’s lawsuit centers on administrative processes because, frankly, that's their only viable angle. However, claiming that the SBSO dispatch center is sufficient overlooks some critical facts. There's a reason not all agencies in the region use the current dispatch system, and agency attrition is a key factor that should be considered before making such a broad statement.
I do not support government overreach or any form of political maneuvering that resembles communism. However, placing emergency transport under the Fire Department, which is already mandated to provide EMS services, makes practical sense. It would result in faster response times, increased operational efficiency, and a significant boost in vital staff resources.
Let me emphasize this point: AMR is a private company, and like any private enterprise, its primary mandate is profit. The SB County contract is extremely lucrative for AMR, and this case could set a precedent for the entire state and potentially the country.
This issue is more complex than a simple case of government overreach. There's fault on all sides. However, there is also an opportunity here for the County and AMR to operate in partnership. By working together, we can achieve the best possible service for our community, which should be the ultimate goal.
If this is a lucrative contract then why did the county only get two bidders on the contract. And you say fire would be faster to respond, what's your evidence or proof of this other then what you hear from others. In that third party evaluation of all county emergency service it did not show that the fire department was faster even at its current job. So how can you say they would be faster. Also if you ran a business would you not want to make money as well. Almost all of the hospitals in the santa barbara county are privately own and want to make a profit too. Should the county go after them next? Let's be real everyone wants to complain, or talk about AMR, but if this was your company and the county tried to take over your contact you would be upset, especially if county are making promises that the can not support.
How many companies are there who would bid? My evidence is first hand experience. There are many more dept. locations than AMR has. In rural areas AMR response is much slower.
Again, I am not making the case for gov. overreach. Of course I would want to make money as a business owner. In this case we are talking about publicly funded vital lifesaving services.
Hospitals are already quasi government business akin to a utility.
AMR upcharges anywhere they can, drugs, special services, COGS, personnel and maintenance, the list goes on.
What is your support for the claim the county is making promises they cannot support?
Please understand I am stating there is room for both to operate. AMR's record in the county is far from spotless. Having 2 operators would make both more accountable. Competition drives efficiency.
The Board of Supervisors are all corrupt and have their heads in their asses. Keep giving yourselves raises you morons. You guys don’t do shit.
I suspect the corruption runs even deeper than Andy mentioned. Let's not forget that the County likely shelled out a hefty sum to assess its EMS system, only to have the consulting firm proclaim it as one of the best in the state. There was even a Board meeting where they initially decided to put the ambulance contract out to bid. The consulting firm and what felt like every doctor in town urged the county to stick with AMR, saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
But then, the fire agencies insisted on a competitive bid, eyeing the contract like it was the last slice of pizza. And guess what? They lost. By a landslide. Twice, they tried to overturn the decision through the appeals process and failed both times. But when the EMS agency went to finalize the RFP, the Board, bowing to pressure from the fire unions, decided to scrap the whole thing.
Just because all the Fire Chiefs/Fire Unions want something doesn’t mean it’s automatically a good idea—sometimes it just means they all stand to benefit, whether it’s more power, more money, or both. I guess the same can be said about the Board of Supervisors.
If you can't read between the line with the ambulance contract and the dispatch center, county fire and the other fire agency in the county want to be the Supreme leaders in it. They don't like to share or work with others outside of the fire service. Truth is if you look at the previous department that Hartwig came from you will see this is not the first time he has fought with AMR and caused conflicts within that county along with one of the other chief in the county who has always spoke ill of AMR even though he was previously employed there and the many years as a paramedic he speaks of were at that agency. It also shows that those elected officials in the board of supervisor are poor managers as you see now, the county spent the money on the ambulance, and then had to get more money to help the supposed better option to hire people to staff the ambulance they bid on. How is that possible. Really you make back door deals to try and take power under the lies of for the people. What happend to transparency and honesty that all the chiefs in SB county talked about in these meetings. There is so much more I could say, but sadly I believe it's a waist of time. Our county politicians are corrupt and this shows it. People open your eyes these are your tax dollars the county uses and your getting nothing in return because you will still be billed because someone has to pay for the ambulance service whether it be AMR who you do not pay with your taxes or it be the fire department which you do pay with taxes and you will still be billed if they transport you.
My experience with AMR has been a nightmare with how they rip people off! Three occasions have left me wanting to back the Fire Chiefs in any way possible. AMR, is more concerned about profits than service. A one mile ambulance ride shouldn't cost $6,000.00! Another incident with my wife they chose to take her Santa Barbara when Solvang would have been the clear choice and was told so by both the hospitals!! AMR tries to administer as many procedures as possible when it is not necessary for billing purposes. AMR is not our best choice!
It's funny you say that because you have not experienced what it will be like with the fire department running the ambulance. So your comments are one sided. In case you didn't watch the board of supervisor meetings the county contract sets the price of your transport and the fire department will want the same money also. This service will not be covered by your taxes. The take them to another hospital other then closest facility is based on what the needs your family member needs. Solvang may not have been able to give her what she needs so they took her to the higher level of care. I'm sorry but solvang cottage hospital always redirects ambulance to santa barbara so I have a hard time believing they would say anything about it. My friend was taken to the solvang site and then told he would be transported via ambulance so that he could be monitored as he went to santa barbara. He was in med/surgery over night then discharged. So I've seen both sides of it.
AMR is a monopolized global circus who does not focus on the patient and they treat their employees like trash and pay them crap. I trust County Fire before American Mess Response.
They did do the bid process, AMR, and Couty Fire were the only two that bid I believe. AMR won the bid, so the County Chief in a email told the board to not go with the bid and do a muti provider system with permits. That's when the county board gave only County Fire the permit saying they were the only ones to meet the boards requirements, which is suspicious considering they manage the County Fire Department.