As of Tuesday, some Colorado Springs residents may hear something different when they call 911.
"A unit will respond when a unit is available," call takers will say to residents in the south part of town who contact the emergency service for non-emergency situations â for example, when symptoms indicate the flu, a sprained ankle or a fractured hip.
"This will be somewhat of a shift for the community," said Jayme McConnellogue, deputy chief of operations for the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Instead of immediately dispatching an ambulance, firetruck or other substantial vehicle, new Community Medicine Response Units â in medically outfitted SUVs that are on back order â will arrive at the scene.
Emergency medical technicians will render aid and determine the best course of action, Fire Department officials said Tuesday, while announcing the start of the program at the agencyâs headquarters on Printers Parkway.
