GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — As emergency call volume continues to rise, the Grand Junction Fire Department is launching a new initiative aimed at reducing repeat 911 calls by helping residents manage chronic health conditions.
City officials have approved the Community Paramedic Program for 2026. The program will focus on residents with ongoing medical needs, patients who often rely on emergency services but may benefit from more consistent, preventive care, The Daily Sentinel reported. Community Paramedic Stephanie Huston said the role is designed to provide follow-up and support that on-duty crews typically do not have time to deliver.
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“A significant portion of the people who call 911 is not something super acute and life threatening, but it’s gone beyond what they’re able to control,” Huston said. “It’s something that is more than what our normal firefighters, EMTs and paramedics have time to do, where we can come in and sit with them for two hours at their house.”
Huston said many lower-income residents rely on emergency rooms for primary care, driving up healthcare costs and increasing demand on fire department resources. She said the department saw the new program as a way to better serve frequent EMS users and reduce preventable emergency calls.
The program will focus on high-utilization patients with chronic illnesses who are not accessing appropriate care, connecting them with resources and helping close gaps in the healthcare system.
The program allows designated paramedics to follow up with patients within 24 to 48 hours of a 911 call, reviewing discharge instructions, medications and new diagnoses while helping arrange prescriptions, transportation and follow-up or telehealth appointments.
As the program launches, patients are being referred internally, and paramedics say home visits allow for more personalized care while helping the department use resources more efficiently.
In its first month, the program has served 25 to 30 patients, with much of the early effort focused on building reporting systems, referral processes and community partnerships to support home-based care.
