From the passenger seat of a department-issued Ford Explorer, Victoria Effray pulls a piece of paper out from the sun visor. Parked in the driveway of a large home on Bainbridge Island, the social worker peers at her list to confirm the identity of the 99-year-old man she and her partner are there to meet.
Firefighters responded to a 911 call at the same home a day earlier. The man fell and needed a ride to the hospital. Effray and partner Lt. James Pratt — members of Poulsbo Fire Department’s CARES team — are there to check on him.
CARES teams like Poulsbo’s connect with people who firefighters believe may benefit from additional support. These programs have become increasingly common for state fire agencies and been found to significantly reduce reliance on the emergency medical system and hospitals.
CARES teams
That leads to better outcomes for individuals and widespread cost savings, according to a report released by the state auditor’s office last month…