On Oct. 3, 2023, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), recognized Plano Fire-Recue’s Community Paramedic Program for its innovation, excellence and success. An organization with more than 100 years of history, granted the department the prestigious Community Health & Safety Award
In 2014, the Plano Fire-Rescue Department became aware of a handful of issues taking a toll on Plano residents, hospitals and the 911 emergency service. By tracking its service’s metrics, the department found an increase in the number of low-acuity calls (calls for emergency medical assistance that don’t require an ambulance), gaps in primary care as well as a growing number of preventable hospital readmissions.
According to a LinkedIn post by the city of Plano, 911 calls for services last an average of 45 minutes each. Between 2014 and 2018, the program prevented 683 emergency calls, resulting in 30,690 minutes or 511 hours of in-service time gained for the EMS and Fire apparatus.
Through the program, paramedics make scheduled visits to residents to provide care and follow-up in cases of chronic medical conditions and more, reducing the need to call for an ambulance. Thanks to partnerships with local hospitals that provide education, each member of the Community Paramedic Program receives additional ongoing education and training from highly regarded physicians and specialists within the community.
In addition to making sure residents are healthier, this represents a significant economic aid to patients (on average, $1,000 in out-of-pocket money per beneficiary) as well as health insurance providers such as Medicare. According to the city, an average ambulance transport costs $345, the average emergency room visit costs $4500 and the average hospital admission costs $10,500.
One of the most innovative aspects of the program relates to its funding. While some costs associated with the program are included in the Plano Fire-Rescue Department’s budget, all other manpower costs are covered by local hospitals. In total, local hospitals contribute $134,282 per year to the program, while the city contributes close to $125,000 for the time the fire department invests.