Santa Fe Rebrands City Emergency Response Unit
The city has renamed its Alternative Response Unit to the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement Unit.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Emergency Response
Live Poll
Do you support replacing paramedics with clinicians for non-violent 911 emergency calls in your community?
Santa Fe officials have officially rebranded the local Alternative Response Unit to the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement Unit. The city-led initiative utilizes specialized clinicians to manage low-threat 911 calls.
Why it matters
The rebrand is part of a broader city effort to expand its method of public health delivery. This operational overhaul seeks to refine how the municipality addresses non-emergency situations in the local community.
The city is transitioning the unit's operational structure by exclusively employing clinicians trained in crisis intervention techniques. This follows an earlier staff adjustment in January 2026.
The players
Scott Ouderkirk
Scott Ouderkirk is the Interim Santa Fe Fire Chief who oversaw the removal of paramedics from the city's response unit.
The details
The unit handles low-threat 911 calls throughout Santa Fe using staff trained in crisis intervention rather than medical responders. Interim Fire Chief Scott Ouderkirk previously moved to remove paramedics from this specific unit earlier this year.
Timeline
January 2026: Interim Fire Chief Scott Ouderkirk removed paramedics from the unit.
October 21, 2026: The Mayor announced the unit rebrand at a news conference.
Seasonal Patterns
This reorganization follows a pattern set by the national shift toward non-police behavioral health crisis response models. The adjustment in Santa Fe reflects the growing trend of utilizing specialized clinicians to handle non-emergent 911 dispatch calls.
Residents in Santa Fe should be aware that 911 calls deemed as low-threat will now be managed by the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement Unit. This change ensures that appropriate clinical staff are deployed to support those in crisis.
The takeaway
Santa Fe continues to shift its public safety resources toward specialized intervention models for behavioral health incidents. This approach emphasizes clinical expertise as the primary tool for managing non-medical emergencies in the city.
Further reading
Learn more about local updates regarding Emergency Response protocols in Santa Fe.
Live Poll
Do you support replacing paramedics with clinicians for non-violent 911 emergency calls in your community?
