EMS report: offload delays and outreach programs highlighted; department awarded civic-bridge to study EMS 6

Deputy Chief Sandra Tong presented the EMS and Community Paramedicine report for December at the Jan. 10 meeting, reviewing call volume, task times, and program initiatives.

"We averaged about 366 calls with 77% of the market share," Tong said, summarizing call-volume metrics. She told commissioners that APOD (arrival‑to‑patient‑offload) times were "significantly extended" in late December, though the department saw improvement into January.

Tong highlighted program work including training for rescue captains and multi‑casualty incident scenarios, and she described outreach and treatment activity from community paramedicine: "In this month, we had 10 of those [Suboxone] starts." She also said the department was preparing to implement elements of SB 43, which expands the definition of "gravely disabled" to include people disabled by substance use disorder, and asked the commission to help identify candidates who might qualify under the law for additional outreach and services.

Tong reported the department was awarded a civic-bridge grant to work with a private partner to study EMS 6 metrics and identify performance improvements over a 16‑week program. Commissioners asked about comparative metrics with other cities and expressed interest in more benchmarking data; Tong agreed to provide additional comparator information where available.

The commission and department discussed that a high share of EMS 6 calls involve people experiencing homelessness, and members asked the department to continue analyzing how those calls affect response strategy and resource needs.