Seattle  Councilmembers pressed for clearer performance data, staffing protections and training details for the citys alternative crisis-response system during the Oct. 30 Select Budget Committee meeting.

The committee heard five Care-focused items: a software and subscription request to improve data visibility (Care 1, $200,000), a proviso to protect funding for four dedicated nonemergency 9-1-1 call-takers (Care 2, $579,000), a proposal to transfer administration for certain contracts from HSD to Care (Care 3), and two requests for reporting: one on training protocols for Community Crisis Responder (CCR) teams (Care 4) and another for a publicly accessible dashboard with CCR outcomes and integration details (Care 5).

Councilmember Rivera, sponsor of the 9-1-1 call-taker proviso, said the four positions had been placed last year to reduce long nonemergency wait times and had been used to backstop emergency-call staffing; the proviso would prioritize restoring dedicated nonemergency capacity while recognizing emergency demands. Tommaso Johnson (Council Central staff) said Care leaders view an integrated software subscription as a high priority that did not make the mayors initial proposal.

Why it matters: Council members emphasized that sole dispatch for Care responders is imminent and that decisions about staffing, data and training will affect response reliability and public confidence. Rivera and others requested a public tally of calls, response outcomes and how CCR activities integrate with SFD, SPD and HSD referrals.

What the amendments request: Staff reporting on training curricula and evidence-based de-escalation tactics, a public dashboard of CCR outcomes, protected funding for nonemergency call response positions, and either departmental transfers or clarified contract administration to ensure operational accountability.

Ending note: No votes were held in the morning session. Sponsors said they expect Care to return data and training materials in time to inform the chairs package and subsequent budget decisions.