San Jose firefighter/paramedics will help patients with chronic illness, mental health, substance use and housing needs avoid repeated emergency calls

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Fire Department is preparing to launch a community paramedical pilot program to reduce repeat emergency calls and address patient’s underlying health and social needs.

Approved by the City Council through the latest budget, the program will use firefighter/paramedics trained to assist people with chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, substance use disorders and other complex needs that may not be resolved through an emergency room visit, San Jose Spotlight reported.

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City officials said rising call volumes from high-need patients have exposed gaps in the traditional EMS response, which can leave people cycling between hospitals, the street and jail without long-term support.

“There are just a lot of basic things out there that people need help with,” Fire Chief Robert Sapien said. “We hope what we will achieve is to help individuals in our community get out of the cycle of really high-cost services that don’t give them what they ultimately need.”

The $764,000 pilot will be funded through the city’s opioid lawsuit settlement and will pay for three positions and new equipment. Pending state approval, the program could launch this fall. The plan also funds a fire captain to develop and oversee the pilot program.

The state has expanded paramedics’ authority under community paramedicine programs, allowing them to provide care beyond emergency scenes and ambulance transport.

San Jose’s paramedicine team will assess patient’s health, housing and substance-use history to connect them with appropriate care.

Officials said the pilot also is intended to expand emergency response options while providing more targeted, cost-effective care.

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