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S.F. Fire Department expands community paramedics as Narcan use rises
Summary
The San Francisco Fire Department told commissioners it is expanding community paramedic training and street crisis response units while tracking increased Narcan administrations; officials said staffing, dispatch changes and toxicology limits make immediate causes unclear.
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Fire Department told its Fire Commission on Feb. 10 that it is scaling up community paramedic training and Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT) deployments even as paramedics administered more naloxone (Narcan) calls in January.
Deputy Chief Bridal Rubinstein said the department's EMS work is "busy," with "Average over 295 calls a day," and noted the department has been asked to take on responses previously handled by police. "Any of those could fall under the umbrella of calls that are being reimagined from police calls to different forms of intervention," Rubinstein said.
Assistant Deputy Chief Sandy Tong described the department's community paramedic program and training:…
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