Pasadena Launched Specialized Homelessness Outreach

A team of firefighters and a nurse provided outreach services to unhoused individuals throughout Pasadena.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Emergency Response

Isometric editorial illustration of a mobile medical response vehicle near a park bench, representing municipal social outreach services. — The Pasadena Outreach Response Team, established in 2018, coordinates firefighters and medical nurses to provide social services and health checks to unhoused residents. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your local government divert 911 homelessness calls to civilian outreach teams instead of police?

Established in 2018, the Pasadena Outreach Response Team utilizes a mobile model to offer medical checks and housing support. The city developed this specialized service to provide alternatives to law enforcement intervention.

Why it matters

The team aims to address homelessness through non-punitive methods while reducing the burden on traditional emergency services. By diverting non-emergency calls, the program ensures specialized care reaches vulnerable residents.

The six-member team has successfully placed nearly 100 people into housing since 2023. Over 50% of 911 calls involving unhoused individuals are now diverted to the unit rather than traditional police response.

The players

Pasadena Outreach Response Team

This six-member unit consisting of firefighters and a nurse focuses on providing specialized medical and social outreach to the unhoused population.

The details

Team members actively visit local parks and encampments to build trust and connect individuals with essential social services. The unit combines medical expertise from a dedicated nurse with the emergency response capabilities of firefighters to assist those in need.

The Pasadena Outreach Response Team began its operations in 2018.
The team started tracking specific outreach contact statistics in January 2023.

Seasonal Patterns

This program reflects a broader move toward the Memphis Model of crisis intervention, which prioritizes specialized personnel over traditional law enforcement for welfare calls. This shifts the long-term approach to public safety by integrating healthcare professionals into municipal response strategies.

Residents can expect fewer police vehicles during welfare checks as 911 dispatchers continue to divert eligible calls to the specialized outreach team. This protocol helps ensure that firefighters and medical staff remain available for immediate life-safety emergencies.

The takeaway

The program demonstrates that integrating medical personnel into emergency responses can effectively bridge the gap between street-level outreach and permanent housing. Ongoing success relies on maintaining trust within the local unhoused community to facilitate long-term service engagement.