CALSTAR and Santa Barbara County to enter new contract

As reported by local news source Noozhawk, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved a five-year-long contract with the major injury incidents helicopter transport service CALSTAR.

Also known as REACH Air Medical Services, CALSTAR is an additional service of the Global Medical Response (GMR), parented by the American Medical Response (AMR). As the first consortium air rescue program in the United States, since its founding in 1983, CALSTAR has provided life-saving air medical transport to improve outcomes for victims of critical illness or injury.

County Executive Office spokeswoman Jackie Ruiz said: “Due to an administrative issue, the contract lapsed in July 2023.” With minor amendments to the original agreement finalized last November, according to Ruiz, the contract approved last week is retroactive from November.

As noted by Noozhawk, in the contract, CALSTAR agrees to pay the county around US$157,000 for monitoring and overseeing the services outlined in the agreement, over the five-year term.

CALSTAR continues to play a vital role in supporting the emergency medical services infrastructure in California, providing comprehensive critical care to both densely populated urban communities and vast stretches of wilderness.

Further, the County Fire Department is currently amid its transition to become a provider through hiring employees and building its ambulance fleet to meet the growing demand for services across southern California.