Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Detroit Fire Department outlines nurse‑navigation pilot to triage low‑priority 911 calls
Summary
The Fire Department presented a nurse‑navigation model to divert low‑priority 911 medical calls to nurses, aiming to reduce non‑emergency dispatches, pilot in January after a Q3–Q4 vendor selection, and a broader rollout in spring following a public outreach campaign.
The Detroit Fire Department told the City Council’s Public Health and Safety standing committee on June 16 that it plans to pilot a nurse‑navigation program to triage low‑priority 911 medical calls and direct callers to non‑emergency care options.
Deputy Commissioner Derek Hellman said Detroit receives roughly 150,000 911 calls a year and that about 25 percent are low‑priority, non‑emergent calls such as a sprained ankle. Under the proposed system, dispatchers would transfer designated lower‑priority medical calls to a nurse who would assess the caller and arrange alternatives including telehealth, urgent care referrals, scheduled medical transport or other appropriate care. “So the low priority calls then… will be transferred to a nurse,” Hellman said.
Hellman described a procurement and implementation timeline: Q3 will complete a bid review and site visits for two finalist vendors, a contract award is expected by Q4, a pilot would begin in January and a broader rollout could follow in spring (Q2) with continued monitoring. He said vendors include translation capabilities to handle many languages and that telehealth connections could be part of the offering.
Advocates and council members generally welcomed the proposal as a way to reduce unnecessary ambulance dispatches and ease crew fatigue. Member Waters noted familiarity with health‑system nurse triage models and asked about collaboration with the public health department; Hellman said the department plans to coordinate with Health Department services that already provide rides for expecting mothers.
No formal vote was taken; the committee indicated interest in receiving vendor details and a later update when the city is ready to roll out the pilot.
