A Community Response Unit could be a key tool in tackling homelessness
Mar. 12, 2021 at 6:00 am
As the rates of homelessness continue to swell in Santa Monica, City Council is reconsidering the Fire Department’s proposal to address this issue with a Community Response Unit.
A Community Response Unit rethinks the way emergency services respond to homeless related incidents, by using 9-1-1 calls as an opportunity to connect unhoused individuals to solutions and resources.
Currently around 20 percent of Santa Monica Fire Department’s calls involve homeless individuals, and often firefighters’ only option is to transport the individual to an emergency room and rush back to the fire station to be ready for their next call.
UpdatedSat, Jan 9, 2021 at 6:31 am PT
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SMFD RN Catherine Borman administers the vaccine to firefighter Jacob Proano. (Courtesy of the city of Santa Monica)
SANTA MONICA, CA A sign of hope arrived last week in Santa Monica, with Santa Monica Fire Department firefighters and paramedics among the first fire departments in Southern California to receive the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. This is a critical milestone in keeping all frontline medical personnel safe as they prepare for an increase in the number of cases across the county, which is occurring as local hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, city officials announced.
In addition to SMFD frontline personnel receiving the vaccine, SMFD leadership was integral to the rollout of the vaccine to 20 fire departments across Los Angeles County, officials said.