Detroit Fire Department proposes nurse‑navigation pilot to triage low‑priority 911 calls

Derek Hellman, second deputy commissioner of the Detroit Fire Department, presented a proposal on June 16 for a nurse‑navigation program to triage low‑acuity 911 medical calls and reduce non‑emergency ambulance dispatches. Hellman said the department receives roughly 150,000 911 calls annually and estimated "25% of our requests are low priority," adding that diverting those calls to nurses could reduce strain on emergency crews (SEG 1194–1196).

Under the plan, police‑operated dispatchers would prioritize calls; lower‑priority calls would be transferred to a nurse who would determine whether a caller requires immediate ambulance transport, telehealth, scheduled transport, referral to urgent care, or other community resources. Hellman described vendor selection and implementation milestones: a bid review in Q3, contracting in Q4, a pilot launch in January and a broader rollout in spring following a soft launch (SEG 1266–1276; SEG 1288–1296).

Council members asked about language access and coordination with health‑department programs that provide rides for expecting and new mothers. Hellman said the selected vendor includes phone translation capability for "up to 200 different languages" and the department will coordinate with the health department and telehealth partners (SEG 1364–1370).

Supporters on the committee said similar nurse‑first models in other jurisdictions have reduced non‑emergency dispatches and helped preserve ambulance availability for high‑acuity calls. No contract award was finalized in this meeting; Hellman said the city is in the bid review process and will return with vendor specifics prior to rolling out the pilot.