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Detroit Fire Department outlines nurse‑navigation pilot to triage low‑priority 911 calls
Summary
Detroit Fire Department officials told the committee they plan to pilot a nurse‑navigation system to triage low‑priority 911 calls, citing roughly 150,000 annual calls with about 25% categorized as non‑emergent; vendors and a phased procurement and pilot schedule were described.
Detroit Fire Department officials on Monday presented a planned nurse‑navigation program that would route low‑priority 911 calls to nurses able to assess, triage, and refer callers to appropriate care.
"We have ... 150,000 calls a year and 25% of those are a non‑emergent nature," Deputy Commissioner Derek Hellman said, describing how a nurse could provide quality control, schedule transport, arrange telehealth or urgent‑care referrals, or return a true emergency to 911.
Hellman outlined an implementation timeline: Q3 vendor selection during bid review, a contract in Q4, a pilot beginning in January with a soft rollout in early Q1, and a full rollout by spring. He said two vendors have bid and site visits were underway. Hellman said many jurisdictions already use similar programs and that nurse navigation can reduce ambulance dispatches for nonemergent calls and limit crew fatigue.
Council members asked about language access and coordination with the Health Department. Hellman said one vendor can translate up to 200 languages via phone and that the program would be coordinated with city resources, including existing Health Department ride services for expectant mothers.
Committee members generally praised the proposal and asked that the fire department return to the committee with vendor names and further details once procurement is complete. No formal committee action was taken at the June 16 meeting; staff and council said they expect further questions about vendor selection, nurse credentialing, and quality metrics before a contract is finalized.
