Santa Barbara County is taking a major step towards separating its now consolidated public safety 911 dispatch services.
There have been longtime issues between the County Sheriff’s office, and the County Fire Department about operations of the joint facility. County staff members developed a number of proposals for County Supervisors. The ideas range from hiring a civilian manager to run a continued joint operation to separating the call centers.
County Supervisors say they want staff to develop a proposal to separate the 911 centers, moving one of them to Santa Maria so there is potential backup in a major disaster.
Currently, all of the 911 functions are handled in a single facility at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters near Goleta.
