Sandy Springs Fire Department officials described a new community paramedicine program designed to reduce low-acuity 911 calls and provide preventive, ongoing care to residents of independent-living, assisted-living and nursing facilities.

City paramedics say the program expands the role of emergency medical services beyond traditional 911 response by educating residents, helping with medication adherence and care plans, coordinating transportation and delivering resources aimed at preventing emergencies.

"Our community paramedicine program is a new initiative from Sandy Springs Fire. Its goal is to reduce the wear and tear and the high frequency, low acuity, or low priority EMS calls that come in through our 911 system," said Patrick Flaherty, chief of EMS for the Sandy Springs Fire Department. "Our community paramedic reaches out to all of our independent living, assisted living, and nursing facilities in Sandy Springs with the goal of helping educate its residents on when to call 911, different plans and procedures that they can use to reduce the needed calls for 911, help them take better care of themselves, how to take their medicines, how to better recognize signs and symptoms that do warrant a true emergent 911 response."

Paul Long, the city's community paramedicine officer, said he was hired to develop and implement the program. "They brought me on to develop, implement, and and get the community paramedicine program going," Long said, adding he has more than 25 years of experience as a paramedic with 22 of those years as a firefighter.

Family testimony at the presentation described a case in which the program assisted a child named Micah after an injury. A family member who identified themselves only as a resident described the day of the injury: "It was the worst day of my life." The resident credited the program and its personnel with helping coordinate care and transportation after Micah's hospital stay, saying Paul Long "was there for us from day 1 all the way through." The child participant, Micah, described the experience of being helped down stairs by a firefighter named Rasheed: "I liked the Rasheed that took me down the stairs. It was really cool."

Program equipment noted during the presentation included a powered stair chair carried in the community paramedic's vehicle to assist with home transports on stairways. Officials said the program aims to reduce unnecessary hospital visits and avoid repeated 911 calls by offering preventive visits and education.

No formal decisions, votes or funding actions were taken at the presentation; staff described the program and family members gave testimony. Next steps, including any formal approvals or funding sources for broader implementation, were not specified.

"If you or someone you know could benefit from the Sandy Springs Community Paramedicine Program, please reach out," Flaherty said, directing interested people to contact the Sandy Springs Fire Department for more information.