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SFFD highlights EMS 6 gains, outlines Street Crisis Response Team rollout
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department leaders told the Fire Commission that EMS 6 has cut frequent‑caller use, diverted hundreds of ER trips and led COVID response efforts; the department plans a CAHOOTS‑style Street Crisis Response Team, with one unit launching in November and six units targeted by March 2021.
The San Francisco Fire Department on Nov. 10 told the Fire Commission that EMS 6 — a community paramedicine unit now approaching five years of operation — has produced measurable reductions in repeated 9‑1‑1 use and is central to the department’s pandemic and street‑outreach work.
"The secret to EMS 6 is a patient‑centered design," Dr. Clement Yeh said during the department presentation, describing a model that pairs paramedics with social‑service partners to find nonemergency referrals and follow clients after hospital visits. Chief Simon Pang said EMS 6 now has seven full‑time captain‑level positions and added staff activated through the COVID command center.
Presenters said frequent 9‑1‑1 users number roughly 545 per month and generate about 870 calls monthly — roughly 7% of users accounting for about 18% of EMS resources. For the first 10 months of…
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