Program funded: January 2016 – December 2018

Oftentimes, fire and emergency medical services personnel are dispatched to a home where the caller needs help but it is not a life-threatening situation. In 2013, that included 400 calls by the same 50 people, typically the elderly, uninsured or low-income. With the creation of the Community Paramedic Program, however, those frequent callers are being identified and connected with resources to help prevent future non-emergency calls.

The Community Resource Paramedics will visit with those callers one-on-one in their home or contact them by phone to help identify the root cause of why the person contacted 911 for assistance. With a strong understanding of the systems and resources available in South Snohomish County, the Community Resource Paramedics can help the individual make those connections, which will better serve their needs.

This Community Paramedic Program attracts great interest from other fire departments. Snohomish County Fire District 1 and Lynnwood Fire Department work cooperatively with this grant from Verdant. In addition, their work has generated interest from media, including:

• Everett Herald (Jan. 5, 2014): Roving paramedic won’t wait for 911 call to give aid
• KING 5 news (Feb. 17, 2014):