Fire Department community assistance and co‑responder teams briefed the City Council workshop on Sept. 2 about FD CARES operations, referral pathways and staffing as the city evaluates expanded coverage and proactive outreach.

Commander O’Reilly and Division Chief John Graziani explained the program’s goals: connect people in crisis to appropriate services, free patrol officers to handle criminal calls, and provide follow‑up. The presenters said teams are staffed seven days per week in 12‑hour shifts (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) with social workers and registered nurses on the CARES teams.

Captain Zydick said that through August the program had 56 patrol referrals resulting in 54 patient contacts; staff estimate the average amount of staff time per patient contact, including behind‑the‑scenes follow‑up, is about 90 minutes. Presenters described three practical referral modes: co‑response (CARES accompanying officers), warm handoffs (officers ask CARES to come and CARES arrive on scene), and cold handoffs (CARES respond after a referral without officers at scene).

Staff described ongoing work with dispatch (Valley Communications) to identify frequent 911 callers and prioritize outreach, a messaging campaign to make CARES known to new personnel across agencies, and periodic briefings so patrol officers become familiar with referral tools (including a QR code referral form staff can complete that generates a follow‑up). Council members asked about moving to 24‑hour coverage; staff said 24‑hour service would require additional staffing and funding and is under evaluation as utilization and staffing metrics evolve. The presenters also discussed plans to pilot more embedded, proactive outreach where a CARES social worker might accompany an officer for a day.

Why it matters: the co‑responder model aims to match behavioral‑health expertise with public‑safety responses, potentially reducing repeat 911 calls and freeing sworn officers for crime‑related duties; staff emphasized follow‑up and coordination are critical to program results.