City and County Reach Deal Over Dispatchers
City fire officials have announced they would consolidate the department’s fire and rescue dispatch operations with those of the Ventura County Fire Protection District.
Under the agreement, the county fire district will provide emergency dispatch services for Santa Paula, while the city’s department will help the county respond to incidents in nearby unincorporated areas.
Santa Paula had used its dispatchers to handle police and fire calls, which affected the quality of emergency service, said Jerry Byrum, acting assistant fire chief.
The new joint dispatch service “is a win-win situation for everybody,” Byrum said, adding that he would like to see more cooperation between the city and county.
No jobs were lost in the consolidation. Byrum said Santa Paula’s dispatchers will continue to handle local police calls.
The consolidation takes effect July 10, leaving Oxnard as the only city in the county that has not consolidated its fire dispatch services with the county.
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