5 Cities Fire Authority PIO

10/27/2026

10/19/2026

🚑 Decades without a countywide competitive review. Isn’t it time to evaluate our options?

Our communities have grown. Technology has advanced. EMS has evolved.
Yet San Luis Obispo County has gone decades without a comprehensive countywide competitive review of ambulance service delivery.

✅ The current RFP process gives our communities an opportunity to:
• Evaluate today’s emergency medical needs.
• Explore improved technology, dispatch, and ambulance deployment.
• Compare service models, performance, and value.
• Identify opportunities to improve patient care.

📞 Why does it matter? When you or someone you love calls 911, you depend on an entire EMS system working together to deliver the right care at the right time.

The goal isn’t change for the sake of change. It’s making sure we’re providing the best possible EMS system for the communities we serve.

Learn more at CentralCoastEMS.org

10/14/2026

🚨 PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF (PSPS) NOTICE 🚨
The Five Cities Fire Authority, in coordination with San Luis Obispo County OES and PG&E, is advising residents of a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) starting October 15 through October 17.
Due to forecast high winds, low humidity, and elevated fire weather conditions, power may be proactively turned off in parts of SLO County to reduce wildfire risk.
🗓 DATES: Oct 15 – Oct 17, 2026 📍 LOCATION: Areas throughout San Luis Obispo County
QUICK PREP CHECKLIST: ⚡ Charge all cell phones, power banks, and essential devices now. 🔦 Locate flashlights, fresh batteries, and emergency lanterns (avoid using candles). 🧊 Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to preserve food. ⛽ Fill up vehicle fuel tanks, as gas station pumps rely on power. 🚪 Make sure you know how to manually operate your electric garage door. 🩺 Have a plan in place for medical equipment or medications requiring refrigeration. 🤝 Check in on neighbors, elderly relatives, and vulnerable community members.
STAY INFORMED: 🌐 Real-time county updates & Community Resource Centers: ReadySLO.org ⚡ Outage status & address lookups: pge.com 🚨 In an emergency, always call 911.
Please share this post with friends and neighbors across SLO County! . . FiveCities ArroyoGrande GroverBeach Oceano PublicSafety WildfirePreparedness

10/14/2026

PG&E has indicated the possibility of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), which may affect many areas of San Luis Obispo County. The predicted PSPS outages do not impact the Five Cities Fire Authority Jurisdiction.
For More information, visit:

10/13/2026

Reminder: The Free Chipping Event, in cooperation with the San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council, will be held in Arroyo Grande October 26th-28th. The deadline to sign up is October 25th. For more information and to sign up, visit

X-twitter Youtube Facebook Instagram SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL FIRESAFESLO.ORG WHAT CAN I DO ? WHAT ARE WE DOING ? Whats my Community doing ? Downloads COUNCIL NEWS & EVENTS Next Board MeetingBoard of Directors Wednesday Nov 18th, 2026 9:00 am - 11:30am Location : TBD 2026 Calendar Ne...

10/12/2026

What happens after you call 9-1-1 matters.

📞 Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) helps determine how serious a medical emergency is and matches the response to the patient’s needs.

🚑 Why does that matter to you? It helps get the right resources to serious emergencies while keeping ambulances and first responders available for other 9-1-1 calls.
A 2025 independent assessment found that 80.5% of medical calls were being treated as emergency responses, yet only 9.6% of those patients were ultimately transported with lights and sirens. The assessment concluded this creates unnecessary risk and recommended implementing a modern EMD system.

💰 Today, local cities pay for County dispatch services, while the ambulance provider does not directly contribute to those dispatch costs.

The Partnership Plan: Modernize EMD and fund the upgraded dispatch system.

Learn more at CentralCoastEMS.org

10/10/2026

In hopes this answer some questions we have been receiving about some of the data that is being presented and comments posted.

Many of the Partnerships concerns are clearly documented in the County’s own EMS assessment. County consultants identified inconsistent emergency medical dispatch, opportunities to improve ambulance coverage, and a need for stronger performance reporting. People can disagree about the proposed solution, but these findings deserve an informed discussion.
The County’s February 2023 APOC packet confirms that its EMS Agency hired Healthcare Strategists in October 2022 to conduct a system assessment and support the competitive bidding process. The assessment itself describes stakeholder interviews, ride-alongs, and data analysis on page 3.
www.slocounty.ca.gov

https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/slo-health/public-health/emergency-medical-services/emergency-medical-services-agency/forms-documents/ems-plan -1d7562b5284dfb2aef6c0de06f38ed69

10/06/2026

The Five Cities Fire Authority is teaming up with NFPA and the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week™, October 4- 10: Charge into Fire Safety™: Safe Charging Is a Superpower. Help us spread the word that everyday actions can help prevent lithium-ion battery fires. Use your charging superpower by making smart choices every time you plug in. For more info: fpw.org.

10/05/2026

What does “Modernizing EMS” actually mean?

The Central Coast EMS Partnership is proposing several changes to how emergency ambulance services operate in our communities.

Under the current EMS system:

🚑 Ambulances are typically assigned to fixed locations until dispatched. Modern EMS systems can use call data, demand patterns, and real-time availability to help position ambulances where they are most likely to be needed.

🏥 9-1-1 ambulances are often used for interfacility hospital transfers. When units are committed to these transfers, fewer ambulances are available for 9-1-1 emergencies.

📞 San Luis Obispo County currently operates without an Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system. EMD helps determine the severity of a medical call and match the 9-1-1 response to the patient’s needs.

The Partnership Plan:
Use data-driven ambulance deployment, improve resource availability for 9-1-1 emergencies, and implement Emergency Medical Dispatch.
These changes are designed to create a more efficient, responsive, and reliable 9-1-1 EMS system.

Learn more at CentralCoastEMS.org

10/05/2026

What does “Modernizing EMS” actually mean?

The Central Coast EMS Partnership is proposing several changes to how emergency ambulance services operate in our communities.

Under the current EMS system:

🚑 Ambulances are typically assigned to fixed locations until dispatched. Modern EMS systems can use call data, demand patterns, and real-time availability to help position ambulances where they are most likely to be needed.

🏥 9-1-1 ambulances are often used for interfacility hospital transfers. When units are committed to these transfers, fewer ambulances are available for 9-1-1 emergencies.

📞 San Luis Obispo County currently operates without an Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system. EMD helps determine the severity of a medical call and match the 9-1-1 response to the patient's needs.

The Partnership Plan:

Use data-driven ambulance deployment, improve resource availability for 9-1-1 emergencies, and implement Emergency Medical Dispatch.
These changes are designed to create a more efficient, responsive, and reliable 9-1-1 EMS system.

Learn more at CentralCoastEMS.org