A groundbreaking program at the Tucson Fire Department to help people and save money is showing significant progress in its second year.
The Tucson Fire Department receives hundreds of 911 calls each day. The department’s infrastructure of people and machines is designed to handle around 65,000 calls per year but Captain Brian Thompson says the actual number of calls is more than 92,000.
“So, we're being overrun, overburdened by the 911 system,” Thompson said.
Thompson says many of those calls come from the same people for the same things. He says people call for help with issues that stem from problems like food insecurity, chronic, but manageable, illness, or homelessness. He says each time a crew transports someone to the hospital in an ambulance it carries a price tag of roughly $1,200.