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Detroit Fire Department outlines nurse-navigation plan to triage low-priority 911 calls
Summary
The Detroit Fire Department proposed a nurse-navigation program to route nonemergency 911 calls to nurses and telehealth, citing that about 25% of calls are low priority; staff outlined a vendor bid-review timeline and a targeted pilot start in January.
The Detroit Fire Department presented a plan to divert low-priority 911 calls to a nurse-navigation service that would evaluate callers, provide care coordination, and reduce unnecessary ambulance responses.
"The Detroit Fire Department sees approximately 25% of our requests are low priority," said Derek Hellman, second deputy commissioner, who described a system in which dispatchers transfer non-emergency calls to a nurse for assessment and referral to urgent care, telehealth, scheduled transport or hospital when appropriate.
Hellman said the department is in a vendor bid-review process with two bidders under site review. The department's implementation timeline calls for selecting a vendor in Q3, contracting in Q4, a pilot starting in January, and a broader rollout in spring (Q2) with ongoing monitoring. He said the program is intended to reduce costs, lower unnecessary ambulance responses, and improve resource availability for high-priority emergencies.
Alisa Malal, Director of Government Affairs for the Detroit Fire Department, and Hellman said vendor offerings include telehealth and translation services; Hellman said one vendor can translate calls into up to 200 languages, which the department presented as part of its equity and access planning.
Council members asked about language access and coordination with the health department. Hellman said translation is included and the department will coordinate with existing city health programs for referrals and ride services where needed.
What happens next: The department will complete vendor selection and return to the committee with pilot details; committee members requested further information on chosen vendors, nurse qualifications, and how calls will be routed and monitored.
