The type of incident is common enough — someone with Alzheimer’s has gone missing. A 911 call is made. The fire department responds.
It happened recently to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.
“A gentleman was lost. He wandered off from the building he was at,” EMS Capt. Tim Lookabaugh said. “(Crews) spent an hour and a half trying to get a hold of his family, finding the right place for him to go.” Is it an emergency? Absolutely, the department says. But perhaps a low-acuity one.
That’s why Central Pierce is launching a Low-Acuity Emergency Response Pilot Program. It will consist of two units on the east and west side of the department’s service area — likely one at Station 61 in Parkland and Station 66 in South Hill, where most low-acuity calls are generated.