The St. Louis Park Fire Department says it has found a way to reduce people's dependency on calling 911 and, in turn, that's improved their quality of life.
About 80 percent of the calls they respond to are EMS calls, many of them are seniors who worry they'll be taken from their homes if they let people see what they're dealing with. But, firefighters have found a way to help them while also reducing 911 calls. Every time they respond to a call, firefighters know they're granted unique access.
"They let us in their home, they share with us their deepest, darkest secrets, and they feel like they can count on us to deliver a solution," St. Louis Park Fire Department Chief Steve Koering told FOX 9. "Firefighters are kind of problem solvers."