City of Columbus, Community Leaders Showcase Success of Alternative Response Pilot Program
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther today joined City Council
President Shannon Hardin and leaders from Public Safety and Public Health to highlight
the effectiveness of the Alternative Response Pilot Program, which aims to
provide more robust and precise emergency-response experiences citywide while
reducing reliance on police and fire forces in matters where other city or
social services are better suited to resolve the situation.
The six-week pilot, announced by Mayor Ginther in May
2021, imbedded a "Triage Pod" consisting of a social worker,
emergency communications dispatcher and paramedic in 9-1-1 dispatch to triage
calls involving mental health, addiction and other social determinants of
health. The first two weeks of the program focused on developing criteria and
polices for transferring calls to the Pod, training for staff members and
testing technology. The Pod managed live calls during weeks three through six. Data
from the pilot was collected over a span of 72 operational hours from June 7 -
July 2, 2021.
Of the calls received by the Pod, 62.5% did not require
an immediate police or fire dispatch. Forty-eight percent were either fully
resolved by the Pod or redirected to local community resources. For the calls
that were resolved without police or fire dispatch, zero called back to 9-1-1
or required dispatch within 24 hours of their initial contact. When calls
required a law enforcement response, the Pod actively communicated with first
responders, providing de-escalation and pre-arrival information to help ensure
a successful outcome.
"What this program so clearly demonstrates is the need
to strengthen and diversify our front-line responses so that police officers
can focus on what they were always intended to do: address violent crime and
keep our neighborhoods safe," said Mayor Ginther. "There is no
‘one-size-fits-all approach’ to public health and safety. We must expand our
resources and expertise to better reflect the needs of our community and ensure
that even more people are receiving the right care in the right amount of time.”
“Society has long asked safety officers to answer every
problem in our community, whether it is a car crash, homelessness or violence,”
said Council President Hardin. “This pilot led to more follow-up for residents
in need of resources, no one going to jail, and a better deployment of taxpayer
dollars. The city will continue making improvements to build out this program
through partnerships, research and iteration.”
Plans are underway to expand the Pod’s hours of operation
and build additional triage and follow-up units. Staff also continues to
collect and analyze data to further inform expansion efforts.