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Santa Barbara regional fire dispatch center goes live; chiefs describe countywide GPS‑based dispatching
Summary
Fire officials told the commission on July 24 that the Santa Barbara County Regional Fire Communication Center consolidated dispatching for most county fire agencies, standardizing response plans, upgrading to NextGen 911 and computer‑aided dispatch, and that the county absorbed construction costs of about $12.8 million.
Fire Chief Chris Mails and Operations Division Chief Brian Fetterman briefed the commission on July 24 about the Santa Barbara County Regional Fire Communication Center, its technology and the phased changeover of dispatch services.
Chief Mails said the center's mission "is to optimize fire, rescue, and EMS response countywide through standardized dispatch protocols, prioritization of emergencies, and deployment of the closest appropriate resources regardless of jurisdiction." He explained the center operates as a secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) under California rules: 911 calls are initially routed to a law enforcement…
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