First District Supervisor Das Williams — Who Answers The Call When We Need Help?

Who Answers The Call When We Need Help?
Have you ever wondered what happens when you call 9-1-1 in a time of need?

Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailles told an incredible story today about what used to happen when he was a 9-1-1 dispatcher some years ago. Dispatchers had to take the calls of those in distress, write furious notes, thumb through filing cabinet drawers to locate an address, carefully read maps, and then decide which department to hand off the dispatch request to based on where the emergency was taking place.

While today computers have made this process faster, the closest ambulance or fire truck is not always the one sent to your emergency. Which side of a boundary your emergency is at still determines which department responds, costing precious seconds of time that can make the difference between saving lives or being too late.

Now all that is changing. This Wednesday we celebrated the graduation of the first-ever class of emergency dispatchers from the County’s Regional Fire Communications Center Dispatch Academy.

This impressive group of 18 graduates is well-trained to the highest emergency standards.

They can provide life-saving instructions over the phone, including CPR and cardiac arrest procedures while emergency personnel are en route.

We all owe a great thanks to the Fire Chiefs of our local departments and districts, who have taken the lead to improve this system. In doing so, they are showing us that regional cooperation is the answer.

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Flood Insurance Rate Maps Released
Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released draft revisions to the Flood Insurance Rate map. This map establishes the floodway and areas at risk for 1 in 100 and 1 in 500-year floods.

 

County Flood Control held a town hall in July with representatives from FEMA to review the draft map and hear feedback from the public. As a part of this process, County Flood Control independently peer-reviewed the maps.

I can appreciate that this can be an emotional topic, given our community’s recent history of loss of life and property due to flooding. I also know the experience of having my own home and neighborhood added to the map during the last revision.

 

Broadly speaking, the new FIRM map will be welcome news for many, as it designates fewer properties as at-risk of flooding (particularly in Carpinteria and Montecito) compared to the Advisory Flood Mapping adopted in 2018. This reflects the many improvements made by County Flood Control to creek channels, debris basins, and other flood control infrastructure in the last 5 years. However, there are some areas where the flood risk remains elevated.

 

While the County and Board of Supervisors do not make this map, our involvement is twofold:

 

  • County Flood Control is reviewing the pros and cons of the Board of Supervisors adopting the new FIRM map as the “best available information” to review new development projects.
  • Our Flood Control Division peer-reviewed the map for apparent errors and omissions and can assist and educate people on requesting an amendment to the map.

If you have questions or concerns about flooding risk or the new maps, please get in contact with my office and County Flood Control.

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Meet Geneva
I am excited to introduce the newest member of my staff, Geneva Lovett. Geneva moved to Santa Barbara over 10 years ago, graduating from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in History and Statistical Science. She has since worked for a local nonprofit and as a political campaigner for several local candidates, including my own campaign and our Congressman Salud Carbajal’s. You can reach Geneva at glovett@countyofsb.org or at (805) 568-2186.
Computer Basics Class at Carpinteria Library
Water Smart App for City of Santa Barbara Residents
Check out this cool new app from the City of Santa Barbara that helps residents manage their water use, and get alerts when there may be leaks! WaterSmart is the City’s new customer portal that gives you 24/7 access to online tools to manage water use and pay bills. Register your account to receive email or text leak alerts and set custom-use notifications for high bills whether you’re at home or away.
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Das Around Town

Das in the Fiesta Children’s Parade with his daughter Khaya (Credit: Fritz Olenberger)

Das at the Fiesta Parade (Credit: Robert Bernstien)

Apply to Serve Our Community
Current vacancies on County District 1 Boards and Commissions:

  • Human Services Commission

For more information on each commission visit and to apply, visit: Santa Barbara County Boards and Commissions

Please contact Spencer in my office if you have any questions.

Direct line:805-568-2155

Email: sbrandt@countyofsb.org

Contact Us: (805) 568-2186

Das Williams, 1st District Supervisor

Darcél Elliott, Chief of Staff

Spencer Brandt, District Representative

Geneva Lovett, District Representative & Scheduler