Q&A
Council Member Ariola questions EMS procedures for mental health calls
1:37:44
·
4 min
Council Member Joann Ariola inquires about recent updates to EMS operating guidelines for mental health calls, the involvement of voluntary hospital units in EDP incidents, and the procedures for EMS personnel when dealing with violent individuals during mental health emergencies. Assistant Chief Cesar Escobar of FDNY provides detailed responses, explaining changes in call triaging, the role of voluntary units, and safety protocols for EMS staff.
- Recent updates focus on better triaging of mental health calls to ensure appropriate B-HEARD team deployment
- Voluntary hospital units do respond to certain designated mental health calls
- EMS personnel are trained to attempt de-escalation first, but to retreat and wait for NYPD if a situation becomes too dangerous
Joann Ariola
1:37:44
Thank you, chair.
1:37:48
So let's talk about what EMS.
1:37:50
So EMS's operating guidelines and procedures relating to the department's response to mental health calls was recently updated.
1:37:58
Can you please tell us what those updates were and describe them?
Cesar Escobar
1:38:05
So the procedures that were recently updated had to do with the type of calls that our mental health response units are assigned.
1:38:16
So previous to June of this year, our crews were responding to mental health emergencies, some of them which were not completely triaged by our communication personnel.
1:38:30
Oftentimes that happens when we have days with excessive numbers of calls coming into the system, and some calls end up going to relay positions, which do not get a full triage.
1:38:46
We have been doing a lot of work in the last year to increase the number of members assigned to emergency medical dispatch, to improve our capacity to triage the mental health calls.
1:38:58
So that change that we did recently was to target the calls more appropriately to RBHIR teams.
1:39:07
So instead of sending them to some of these calls that were not fully triaged, may not have very little information, and may need the response of NYPD because of the lack of information, Now we are better triaging those calls and only sending the be heard teams to calls that are appropriate for their response without NYPD assisting.
Joann Ariola
1:39:30
Thank you.
1:39:31
And do voluntary hospital units respond to EDP incidences, to your knowledge?
Cesar Escobar
1:39:38
Yes.
1:39:38
The voluntary units respond to many emergencies in New York City.
1:39:45
And part of their response assignments are certain mental health calls that are designated for them to be assigned.
1:39:57
So, yes, they do.
Joann Ariola
1:39:59
Okay.
1:39:59
And for hospital transports, for emotionally disturbed persons, do police officers accompany the ambulance every time?
Cesar Escobar
1:40:09
So Every call is different.
1:40:16
Every call in that we respond to poses a risk to the members of EMS.
1:40:24
And it is their decision whether to request the assistance of NYPD if it is necessary.
1:40:32
Many times NYPD does respond to the hospital with us for our safety, and oftentimes they do not when the EMS crew has a great rapport with the person, and there's no immediate danger, and they will take the person to the hospital without NYPD assistance.
Joann Ariola
1:40:55
If EMS arrives on the scene to a mental health call and an individual in ACEACE EXhibits VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
1:41:01
WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF DUTIES FOR EMS PERSONAL UNTIL THE POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE?
Cesar Escobar
1:41:10
I DIDN'T HEAR THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION.
Joann Ariola
1:41:11
Andrew: SHORE.
1:41:13
If EMS arrives on the scene to a mental health call and the individual in crisis exhibits violent behavior, what is the scope of duties for EMS personnel until the police arrive on the scene.
Cesar Escobar
1:41:29
Thank you so much for that question.
1:41:30
That is a great question.
1:41:32
So our members are trained to respond to many types of assignments.
1:41:38
Many of them have a risk and many of them have violence involved, and they are trained to attempt to deescalate the situation first.
1:41:49
And if that is not working, they are trained to back away and wait for NYPD to respond.
Joann Ariola
1:41:56
All right.
1:41:57
Thank you.
1:41:58
That's all the questions I have for now, Chair, but I'd like to go on the list for the second round.
1:42:02
I appreciate it.
1:42:02
Thank you for the consideration.
1:42:04
Thank you for your answers.
