In its first several weeks, a new program aimed at the homeless on Timmins streets is showing encouraging results.
“REACH” stands for Respond, Engage, Assist and Community Health. It involves a paramedic service vehicle patrolling downtown between nine in the morning and nine at night. Paramedic chief Marc Renaud says it engages with people who appear to need help.
“What we’re trying to do is get paramedics and outreach workers out to vulnerable populations before they generate a 911 call,” he explains.
A social worker might also be onboard, offering support to a person the team deals with to improve their life and living conditions.
“From a paramedic service perspective, it’s reduced our volume of calls for these types of calls by about 25% and it’s added hours back to ambulance service availability,” says Renaud, adding “so it’s been a bonus for us well.”
One forecast for that kind of call this year is 6,000. Renaud confidently predicts that REACH will make it lower than that.
