As city leaders find ways to combat crime in Fresno, first responders are seeing the surge in calls to service.
The impact goes beyond police resources.
"These types of calls take longer because paramedics won't respond to the scene until police are able to go in and secure the scene, and then they assess and transport the patient to an appropriate hospital," says American Ambulance Quality improvement Manager Russ Richardson.
Richardson says day to day operations aren't significantly impacted by the surge in violent crime.
Overall, call volume is down compared to 2019 but they have seen an uptick in assaults, including shootings and stabbings over the last year.
"There's been about a 10-percent increase in overall assault category EMS responses," Richardson said.
As is the case with Fresno Fire. Each member of the department is EMT certified and rigs are equipped with tools to treat and triage patients.