Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s proposed budget includes increased money for the Anchorage Fire Department Mobile Crisis Team (MCT). The budget allocates an additional $1.36 million to ensure the service remains available at all times. The crisis team consists of a qualified mental health therapist and an EMT or paramedic from the fire department.
The Fire Department Dispatch Center evaluates 911 calls and decides if they should dispatch the MCT. The supervising clinician, Jennifer Pierce, stressed that the team links people to follow-up programs and offers instant aid. The aim is to decrease the number of needless hospital visits and ensure that individuals do not have to wait in jail for their hospitalization. The program emphasizes community-based treatment, which Pierce emphasized as frequently leading to superior outcomes.
The MCT has handled over 10,000 calls since its introduction in July 2021. According to data from the Anchorage Fire Department, community members were able to settle 89% of situations. Law enforcement handled just 1.1% of cases, and only 7.7% required hospital transport. According to Pierce, the team-based approach was a big reason for the success. In this model, clinicians usually take the lead, but paramedics step in when medical treatment is necessary.
According to Pierce, call volumes are increasing, and the team’s coverage area stretches from Girdwood to Eklutna. The Anchorage Fire Department Mobile Crisis Team has responded to 3,569 calls this year, compared to 3,639 in 2023. A recent experimental program extended MCT shifts beyond the usual 12 hours, prompting people to make several calls at night.
Pierce emphasized the significance of reacting to any emergency, regardless of age, gender, disease, or circumstance, including both adults and children. The group’s immediate goal is to help those in crisis by giving them the attention they need to get through the worst.
This news story was originally published by Alaska’s News Source.
