Tumwater to sponsor 24/7 crisis response team; new medic unit to begin soft staffing in October

Tumwater fire officials told the Civil Service Commission they expect to begin soft staffing a new medic unit at Station T2 in October, with a formal contract start date of Jan. 1. Fire Chief Brian Hurley said staffing, training and temporary facility arrangements are in place to begin response on a limited basis. Hurley also described a planned 24-hour crisis response program to be run by Olympic Health and Recovery Services and sponsored by the fire department. “The agreement will be going to city council next week,” Hurley said. He said the team will provide on-scene response to behavioral health incidents and will be employed by Olympic; the department will provide facilities, dispatch integration and training. Hurley said the team will be two-person responder units consisting of a licensed crisis clinician and a peer navigator. Hurley said state legislation passed in 2023 is funding these positions through the Health Care Authority and that Olympic is receiving grant funds. “There are eight employees, but they're all employed by Olympic Health and Recovery Services and just sponsored and supported by the fire department,” Hurley said. Commissioners and the police chief praised the approach as a health-centered alternative to law-enforcement responses. The meeting record shows the city will be a sponsor and provide operational support but that employment and payroll remain with Olympic; formal council approval of the agreement is the next administrative step. The medic unit staffing and crisis-response sponsorship are operational changes intended to increase emergency medical and behavioral-health response capacity in Tumwater. Council action and final contracting remain necessary steps before the program’s full, ongoing operation.