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Santa Barbara County highlights three technology upgrades to speed emergency response and move permitting online
Summary
County officials described three recent technology initiatives — modernizing the public-safety radio network, launching an online permitting portal using "Acela," and expanding GIS mapping — saying the changes have increased digital permitting and saved staff time while aiming to improve response times.
Santa Barbara County officials outlined three recent technology initiatives they said will improve emergency communications, speed permitting and give staff better data tools.
An agency official for Santa Barbara County said the board approved making IT Central an independent department in June 2023 and that the newly named Department of Information Technology (ITD) is focusing on three priority areas: public-safety radio modernization, a digital permitting portal using software the presentation identified as "Acela," and expanded geographic information systems (GIS).
"En junio de 20 23, la junta probó que IT Central pasara a ser un departamento independiente, y ahora nos llamamos Departamento de Tecnología de la Información o ITD," the agency official said, describing the administrative change as a way to signal that technology is a county priority.
Why it matters: Officials said the upgrades are intended to make emergency responders' communications more reliable, reduce applicant wait times for permits, and provide spatial data that helps identify hazards such as wildfire and flood zones.
Public-safety radio network: The agency official described the first initiative as an upgrade of the county's public-safety radio system, moving from legacy phone-based equipment to internet protocol (IP) technology and installing new towers and equipment to improve communications among dispatchers, sheriff's office and fire personnel. "La red de radio de seguridad pública es vital para el condado de Santa Bárbara," the official said, adding that the upgrades are intended to "salvar vidas" by improving response effectiveness.
Online permitting and the portal: The presentation identified "Acela" as the software used to manage permitting and planning and introduced a county portal that allows applicants to create accounts, upload documents and submit plans digitally. The county said it has moved from roughly 95 to 99 percent paper applications to an online process that is now "casi el 100 por 100." The agency official said, "Hemos ahorrado más de 1000 horas de trabajo a nuestros empleados," presenting hours-saved as a measurable benefit of digital permitting.
Officials also described a 'permits-on-demand' feature for simple projects that lets applicants receive automated immediate permits when projects meet predefined criteria.
GIS expansion: Presenters explained that GIS (Sistemas de Informaci'n Geogr'fica) lets the county link data to place and time to build maps, applications and databases used for roads, parcels, zoning, service locations and hazard mapping. "GIS es, en esencia, la ciencia de la ubicación," the presenter said, noting its use across departments for decisionmaking and emergency planning.
Scope and next steps: The agency official said the three initiatives were chosen for their broad community impact but that the county is working on 50 to 60 technology initiatives across departments. The county said its goal over the next two to three years is to become a leader in applying technology to public services.
The presentation did not specify procurement timelines, vendor contracts, or a detailed deployment schedule for the radio upgrades; officials framed the remarks as an overview of progress and priorities rather than a schedule of formal actions.
