Riverside County debuts new 911 call distribution system

Riverside County is set to roll out a new 911 call distribution system that it hopes will reduce unnecessary ambulance rides to the hospital. 

"The new initiative empowers 911 dispatchers with an additional resource, providing the right type of care for your situation, including how and where you get it," according to the county website.

The program, which has been dubbed "911 Nurse Navigation," begins on Wednesday and will run 24/7. It will be under the supervision of the county's Emergency Management Department, with the hope that callers with medical needs not requiring hospitalization can speak with healthcare professionals instead. 

"Rather than sending them a fire engine and an ambulance, code three across the city, to help them, they may be better served by speaking with a nurse, maybe getting involved in telehealth and really reallocating those resources to those that need it more," said Phil Bardos, the communications manager for the call center at Cal Fire Riverside in Perris.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a committee to examine options for reducing strain on ambulance services in 2022, which they said was a direct response to lessen a worsening "patient offload" at medical center emergency rooms that were overwhelmed at the time. They entered into a contract with Tele911 Inc., a Pasadena-based company, the next year, which led them to develop protocols to manage patients that did not merit emergency medical treatment, and rather undergo virtual consultations or other treatment. 

The navigation program is the result of a partnership between Riverside County and Global Medical Response, the company that owns American Medical Response, the county's ambulance dispatch service. 

"EMS dispatch agencies who utilize 911 Nurse Navigation will help alleviate the strain on our EMS system," said a statement from EMD spokesperson Dan Bates. "By guiding callers to the appropriate level of care, we can minimize unnecessary ER visits, shorten wait times, and offer better healthcare options for low-acuity 911 calls."

Trained Riverside County Fire Department 911 dispatchers will use a screening process to determine when callers should be routed to nurse navigators who are following physician protocols to make sure patients are pointed in the right direction to receive the best level of care for their needs. 

"Depending on the caller's unique needs, a nurse navigator may schedule an appointment at an appropriate health center, or facilitate a real-time virtual consult with a physician," EMD said in a statement. 

County officials noted that 911 callers are entitled to an ambulance, and if someone requests a visit, they will get one.