The City of Seattle announced Thursday that it will expand a unique program that pairs firefighters with social workers.
Mayor Jenny Durkan says it will play an important role in the fight against homelessness. Seattle Firefighter Roger Webber has decades of experience on a ladder truck but the Health One mobile unit he is assigned to is far from a typical fire engine.
"We have diapers, feminine hygiene products," Webber said.
Many would not sign up for Webber’s job, but he says he is craving the challenge of solving Seattle’s homelessness crisis.
"This is the hardest job I’ve ever done emotionally," Webber said. He can share those emotions and the responsibilities that come with the job with social workers like Riley De Hoog.
"We do a trauma-informed approach to our care we try to meet them where they are at," De Hoog said.