KRQE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s a nagging problem that costs taxpayer money and slows emergency response times.
Some people are repeatedly calling 911, sometimes dozens of times, for medical issues that aren’t exactly emergencies. Each of those calls typically requires a fire truck and an ambulance to respond costing a lot of money and tying up resources needed for real emergencies.
“When you look at their actual cases, their situation costs the taxpayer tens of thousands of dollars,” Albuquerque Fire Department Chief James Breen said. So AFD and the city are starting to study a new approach known as a community paramedic program.
Full story: City might add ‘community paramedics’