A Kent Regional Fire Authority's program will start providing a new type of non-emergency medical assistance that will increase the level of care in our community.
The Fire Department Community Assistance, Referral, and Education Services division, known as FDCARES, was developed several years ago to provide better nonemergency medical assistance to the community and connect residents with the healthcare and social services they need.
A new development in FDCARES is an 18-month pilot program which places a registered nurse with a firefighter on a cost effective vehicle which will respond 911 calls 24 hours a day that are determined to be nonemergency by Valley Communications, the 911 call receiving center for south King County.
In addition, the nurse/firefighter team will also provide proactive home visits to residents who previously had relied on the 911 system for their primary medical care. The goal of the program is to build healthier communities by delivering the right care, at the right place, at the right time, for the right cost.
FDCARES already has a vehicle staffed by two firefighters that responds to similar types of calls, but will be able to provide a higher level of care by replacing one of the firefighters with a registered nurse. A total of four nurses are part of this pilot program, which is funded by grants and community partnerships.