SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — Santa Barbara County taxpayers are footing the bill for dozens of brand-new ambulances that have yet to be put into service.
Your News Channel is investigating how the county handled the ambulance service contract, how much it is costing taxpayers, and what will happen next with the idling ambulances in a special report airing Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m.
For more than 40 years, American Medical Response (AMR) has provided ambulance services in Santa Barbara County.
In 2022, as AMR’s contract neared expiration, county officials launched a competitive bidding process, citing concerns about the company’s performance. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department submitted a proposal to take over the contract, arguing it could provide faster response times and improved emergency care.
“We could do the ambulance contract better by providing more ambulances on the street, which would reduce wait times and increase survivability rates,” said Scott Safechuck, a spokesperson for County Fire.
To compete in the bidding process, County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig asked the county to lease-purchase 35 ambulances. The county’s Debt Advisory Board approved the request in May 2023 at a cost of $3.5 million.
In September 2023, the Board of Supervisors awarded ambulance permits to County Fire, prompting AMR to file a lawsuit against the county seeking thousands of dollars in damages.
“The bidding process was not about the lowest responsible bidder," said Supervisor Bob Nelson. “It was more of what I would consider a beauty contest.”
“The county wasted $11.1 million trying to steal an ambulance contract,” said Andy Caldwell, a conservative government watchdog and executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture & Business.
In February, the board rolled back those permits and awarded AMR an exclusive ambulance contract valued at $1 billion, with an option for County Fire to serve as a subcontractor in Lompoc, Carpinteria, Summerland, and Montecito.
“I voted to end an unwinnable lawsuit that was already costing taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Chair Supervisor Laura Capps.
Some of the 35 ambulances now sit idle in a private hangar at the Santa Maria Airport, costing taxpayers $15,000 per month in rent.
Supervisors are expected to vote sometime in April on whether County Fire will subcontract services in those areas.
This article will be updated with additional information following the special report airing Thursday, March 20.
Why 35 New Ambulances Are Sitting Idle in Santa Barbara County — And What Happens Next News Channel 3-12.
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