Nobody wants to need an ambulance, but when you do, you sure as hell expect it to be there for you. San Luis Ambulance (SLA) has enjoyed an 80-year monopoly as the SLO County service provider, but there’s been a cacophony of complaints about response times from fire chiefs, mayors, city managers, and community members. So, what’s the solution?
The current idea on the table is a proposed “public-private partnership” model led by Paso Robles that “allows a county board of supervisors to contract with a fire agency, which then subcontracts with a qualified private ambulance provider to support the delivery of emergency medical services,” Paso Robles City Manager Chris Huot told New Times. “This is not based on a predetermined conclusion that one provider is best. The county’s competitive process will allow the Alliance and other qualified providers to present their proposed service models for objective evaluation.”
In other words, can they guarantee it will provide better service than SLA? That’d be a negatory, chief, but if the powers that be aren’t willing to try something new, we can expect more of the same. So far, the Paso proposal has garnered mixed reviews. Morro Bay already said heck no. Other cities are in! You know who thinks it’s a terrible idea? San Luis Ambulance!
“Will this proposal actually improve emergency medical services in Arroyo Grande? Will it put more ambulances on the street? Will it improve response times? Will it improve patient care, and will it be a better value for the community?” SLA Operations Manager Kris Strommen asked at an earlier Arroyo Grande meeting. “I don’t believe the evidence provided in the packet demonstrates that it will.”
Well, that’s open to interpretation.
“To have a contract out for 80 years without rebidding it, that does not sit well with me,” Atascadero Mayor Charles Bourbeau said at a previous meeting. “It’s wise to go to the next step and see how things shake out from there.”
Yeah! Let’s roll the dice, baby! It appears the alternative to SLA is Texas company American Medical Response (AMR), not exactly a “local” partnership compared to SLA. As SLA General Manager Chris Javine told the A-Town City Council, “When the day-to-day ambulance operations are subcontracted to [AMR], a large national corporation headquartered in Texas, it’s hard to see it as a truly local EMS partnership.”
I hear you, but when it comes to a medical emergency, I don’t care where the ambulance service headquarters are based. Who’s going to save my life?
Ultimately, this is the SLO County Board of Supervisors’ decision, and as far as 3rd District supe Dawn Ortiz-Legg is concerned, her predecessors have kicked this can down the road. At the Nov. 3 meeting, Ortiz-Legg said, “I really hold past boards of supervisors [accountable], we’re not providing a path for all stakeholders to feel heard. They’ve done a great disservice to our county in this manner to have this come to this point at this time. And that’s for both sides of the equation.”
What happens when a country minimizes the cruelty in its own history? I worry that softening past abuses makes present ones easier to excuse.
To clarify, she told New Times, “In hindsight, there likely could have been stronger expectations around collaboration on the service gaps and improvements needed, stakeholder engagement, and transparency. More consistent collaboration among all parties, combined with greater transparency and accountability on how to improve services, may have helped address concerns earlier and avoided some of the tension we see today.”
Where do we go from here? Wait and see, I guess.
Well, it looks pretty good for Pismo Beach Councilmember Scott Newton to become the city’s next mayor. As of Nov. 10, he’s comfortably leading challengers Cynthia Replogle and Shelby Bowen. But if Newton thought this apparent trouncing would read as a mandate for his policies, not so fast.
“I’m taking inspiration from Kamala Harris’ concession speech two years ago,” Replogle said. “This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. With others, I plan to roll up my sleeves and form an independent Resident Advisory Panel for Pismo Beach.”
In other words: Replogle’s thorn, meet Newton’s side. Could be fun!
Speaking of thorns, anyone know why Atascadero High School Principal Nikki Baca was placed on administrative leave last month, because my Shreddy senses think there’s some weirdness here. There’ve been allegations of sexual harassment involving Superintendent Tom Bennett and confirmation that the district is investigating allegations involving both Bennett and Baca, so why is Baca on leave but not Bennett? What’s good for the gander isn’t good for the goose?
At the Oct. 20 school board meeting, Baca’s husband, Joseph Baca, accused district leadership of retaliating against her for questioning administrative decisions and raising concerns about student safety. He also alleged that Bennett made inappropriate comments about his wife’s age, appearance, and Native American features, including remarks about how much high school boys must love her.
Ew. Dude!
According to Mr. Baca, the district has not told Principal Baca why she’s on leave. That’s so weird. At least the board admitted the leave is a non-disciplinary measure and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing, but then, why isn’t Bennett on leave too? ∆
The Shredder knows why it’s on double-secret probation. Tell it fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life at shredder@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2026.
