Imagine a world where not every 911 call requires a police officer or an ambulance rushing to the scene—a world where trained specialists in mental health, social services, or low-acuity medical care respond instead, freeing first responders for life-threatening emergencies. This isn’t a distant dream—it’s happening today through alternative 911 response programs.
When someone dials 911, the expectation is simple: help will come. But not every call requires police officers or paramedics. Communities increasingly recognize that certain crises—from mental health episodes to low-level incidents—can be better resolved by specialized professionals.
Alternative 911 response is a smarter, more compassionate way of matching people in crisis with the right resources. Across the country, cities and counties are pioneering models that expand care, reduce costs, and ease the burden on short-staffed emergency services. From mental health diversion programs to community responder teams, alternative 911 proves that reimagining emergency response isn’t just possible—it’s powerful.
Every day, 911 call centers handle a vast spectrum of calls. Some are life-threatening, some are less urgent, and many could be better served by specialized resources. This blog explores what alternative 911 looks like, highlights successful programs in action, and outlines best practices and technology that make them all work.
What is Alternative 911 Response?
Alternative 911 response diverts certain calls to professionals outside traditional law enforcement or emergency medical teams. These responders—clinicians, social workers, nurses, or community responders—are trained to provide care for people in crisis, from behavioral health support to non-emergency municipal services.
The core idea: match the call with the right responder. Rather than automatically sending a police officer or ambulance, certain calls—like behavioral health crises, low-acuity medical issues, or municipal inquiries—can be directed to specialized professionals. The goal is clear: ensure every call gets the appropriate response, improving outcomes for callers while reducing strain on first responders.
Some common alternative 911 models include:
Types of Alternative 911 Programs and Proven Success
Across the U.S., alternative 911 programs have taken many forms:
These programs are gaining traction nationwide, with many cities reporting successful outcomes—from reduced unnecessary emergency dispatches and significant cost and time savings, to more appropriate responses for people in crisis.
Benefits of Alternative 911 Response
The advantages of alternative 911 programs are wide-reaching, benefiting both the community and first responders. Key benefits include:
The fact is – alternative 911 programs are proving that smarter, targeted responses deliver measurable benefits for all stakeholders.
Success is Already Happening
This isn’t theory. Cities across the U.S. are proving alternative 911 works. Denver’s STAR program, for instance, deploys a clinician and a paramedic to respond to calls related to mental health, poverty, or substance misuse. The impact: reduced crime, an average cost savings of nearly $500 per incident, and plans to expand coverage citywide.
But Denver isn’t alone. Let’s look at two other programs—Anoka County 911 (Minnesota), and Tucson Public Safety Communications (Arizona)—which are both redefining what emergency response can look like.
Anoka County 911: Collaborative, Data-Driven Alternative Response Programs
At Anoka County, the 911 center operates as a two-stage dispatch system serving eleven law enforcement agencies and sixteen fire departments. In recent years, the department has focused on expanding alternative response programs that leverage both technology and partnerships with social services.
“We’ve started some alternative response programs partnering with social services,” Morrissey explains. “The goal is to have fewer calls coming into the center.” This approach reflects a broader commitment to getting the right help to the right person, rather than defaulting to sending a police officer or ambulance in every case.
Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP)
One of Anoka’s first technological initiatives was the ASAP-to-PSAP program. ASAP stands for “Automated Secure Alarm Protocol.” This system routes a portion of alarm calls directly into the CAD queue, eliminating unnecessary phone ringing and reducing the risk of misrouted calls.
Morrissey emphasizes the efficiency gains: “It’s just time savings by having technology that’s already available and we’ve been using it for years. You don’t have to go through the state switch anymore. It’s just such a benefit to everyone that uses it.”
ASAP-to-PSAP has been particularly helpful during storm seasons when false alarms spike, and today, over 30% of alarm calls come through the automated system, with the number growing as more alarm companies integrate into it.
Partnering with Social Services for Mental Health Calls
State legislation in Minnesota mandates that 911 centers provide behavioral and mental health services as an alternative to law or fire response. To meet this requirement, Anoka County has built a strong collaboration with social services.
“We really work with social services and ask them to come do some training, come to our department meetings, explain their role, and show what the counselors can do,” Morrissey says. “It helps our team understand that we’re not sending the appropriate help all the time if we don’t use these resources.”
Social workers can assist callers with medication refills, transportation, referrals, or simply calm someone during a crisis. By routing calls appropriately, telecommunicators ensure that individuals receive the right care without unnecessarily occupying emergency responders or emergency rooms.
To guide staff, the department developed a decision tree embedded directly in their CAD system. Morrissey explains: “You have to give staff an easy way to follow a decision tree. Is there a weapon involved? Yes — then we’re not sending it to mental health because we have to go the law route. But if not, it can safely go to mental health.”
Training and Embedded Support
Ongoing training reinforces alternative response pathways. Morrissey notes that staff may forget protocols or become complacent over time, so social services partners return regularly to provide updates and share insights on frequent callers.
“They’ll actually give us some keywords — things not to use, things to talk about — so that we don’t trigger someone unnecessarily. That’s very helpful,” Morrissey says.
The department is also exploring the possibility of embedding social workers directly in the dispatch center, which could further streamline the process, especially given the county’s size—21 communities and approximately 380,000 residents.
“If we can develop a good internal embedded social worker program within dispatch, it’s not as big of a deal as placing one in every city,” she explains.
Quality Assurance and Compliance
Quality assurance is a cornerstone of Anoka County’s approach. Using NiCE’s QA tools, two supervisors monitor mobile crisis, suicide, mental health, and welfare calls to ensure compliance with both departmental standards and state mandates.
“In our state, legislation says we have to send these calls to the crisis team. If we don’t, we could get in trouble,” Morrissey notes. Regular reviews and coaching ensure that staff understand both the legal requirements and the practical importance of sending calls to the right resource.
Leveraging Data and Analytics
Anoka County 911 uses data extensively to drive decision-making and accountability. Through the NiCE Inform Intelligence Center, staff can generate reports by jurisdiction, call type, and response times, producing visualizations such as graphs and pie charts for both internal management and city council reporting.
“I love data. I love using analytics,” Morrissey says. “It helps us track our calls, meet standards, and make sure we’re providing the right response in every situation.”
Anoka County 911 demonstrates how technology, training, and strategic partnerships can transform emergency dispatch from a reactive service into a proactive, community-oriented system. By embedding decision support, leveraging social services, and closely monitoring quality, the county ensures that the right help reaches the right people — improving outcomes while conserving critical emergency resources.
“Our goal is to get the right help at the right time,” Morrissey concludes. “It’s about making sure that every caller receives the support they truly need.”
Tucson’s Alternative 911 Response: Building a Smarter, More Compassionate System
The City of Tucson’s Public Safety Communications Department (PSCD) has been quietly reshaping how emergency calls are handled—long before “alternative 911 response” became a national conversation.
Under the guidance of Deputy Director Geoffrey Kuhn, the department has worked for nearly a decade to build a system that connects people to the right help, not just the fastest response.
“We’re looking to direct work into the right hands,” Kuhn explains. “It’s not just about the cost to the 911 center—it’s about the cost to the community as a whole, the healthcare system, and the outcomes we create.”
This philosophy underpins Tucson’s push to right-size emergency response and decongest the 911 system. For decades, Kuhn notes, many people “didn’t know who else to call.” By expanding options and integrating alternative services like 311, telehealth, and behavioral-health clinicians, Tucson is creating a broader, community-based safety network.
A Unified Communications Model
One of Tucson’s earliest and most impactful decisions was to integrate the city’s 311 non-emergency line with the 911 system back in 2013. Housing both under one roof allows staff to share technology, training, and call-taking procedures.
“Our 311 staff use the same technologies as 911,” Kuhn says. “Calls can be handed between them, and they often sit in either seat. They know exactly what each system is there to do and what services are available.”
This seamless integration helps reduce unnecessary emergency dispatches and improves the caller experience—ensuring residents don’t get lost between systems or transferred endlessly to find the right help.
Telehealth: Bringing Doctors to the Caller
Tucson also introduced a telehealth option within its EMS call-taking protocols, connecting certain callers directly with a live doctor or nurse. The service, now more than a year old, has already shown measurable value.
“The emergency department is not always the right place,” Kuhn explains. “Sometimes a doctor can determine within minutes that someone really does need an ambulance—but other times, that run never needs to happen at all.”
By resolving lower-acuity medical calls virtually, Tucson is saving time, preserving ambulance availability, and lowering healthcare costs. As Kuhn puts it, “Sometimes what we’re solving is not the call today, but the call tomorrow.”
Embedding Crisis Clinicians in the 911 Center
Recognizing that many 911 calls stem from behavioral-health or social-service needs, PSCD began embedding crisis clinicians directly in the dispatch center in 2019. These professionals help triage calls and intervene when a police or EMS response isn’t necessary.
“Our folks are the ones who take the calls every day,” Kuhn notes. “They can say, ‘This one doesn’t need an officer.’” The clinicians work during peak hours seven days a week, with an emphasis on process consistency. “It can’t matter that it’s 2 a.m. on a Sunday or 2 p.m. on a Wednesday—the process needs to be the same,” he adds.
Kuhn also highlights the importance of early data-sharing agreements between agencies, which make it possible for crisis clinicians to view relevant information and manage calls effectively in real time.
Expanding the Safety Net: Schools, Sensors and Social Navigators
Tucson’s reimagined communications model extends well beyond traditional emergency response. Starting in 2025, the city’s largest school district will embed its safety operation within the PSCD facility. While PSCD won’t dispatch for the district directly, co-location ensures faster coordination and information sharing during emergencies.
In parallel, the city has launched a Community Safety and Awareness Center (CSAC)—a hub that integrates real-time crime data, drone and sensor feeds, and even infrastructure monitoring. Kuhn emphasizes that it’s “not law-enforcement-centric” but community-centric, with utilities, parks, and safety systems all interconnected.
Perhaps most striking is Tucson’s partnership with the Community Health & Wellness Department to deploy “lived-experience navigators”—individuals who can respond to issues like housing instability, food insecurity, or welfare checks. These navigators are accessible through both 311 and 911 and often replace the need for police or EMS involvement.
As Kuhn explains, “People call 911 because something is happening now—but that’s not always the core issue. Sometimes it’s housing, or food insecurity. We can triage and divert those calls directly to navigators in our community.”
Early Results and Insights
Even without a major public education campaign, Tucson’s 311 call volume has grown steadily each month since 2023. Some calls that once went to 911 are being redirected appropriately, while others are moving in the opposite direction—indicating that people who were hesitant to call 911 are now finding the right channel for their needs.
Telehealth calls now average about 1,300 per month. While a small fraction of total call volume, each one represents an ambulance run avoided and a patient spared from unnecessary emergency-department care.
The department’s focus, Kuhn emphasizes, isn’t on raw numbers but on outcomes—both for callers and the wider community.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Kuhn readily admits that “some of these things didn’t go great at first.” Building an alternative response model requires trial, data, and cultural change. Among the key lessons:
A Blueprint for Modern Public Safety
Tucson’s model offers a glimpse of what emergency communications could look like nationwide. By blending 911 and 311 services, embedding clinicians, adding telehealth, and using navigators for social-need calls, the city is redefining what “public safety” means in practice.
Kuhn sums it up this way: “We’ve really benefited the community—saving critical emergency response for life-threatening events and offering the best outcomes for the people who call us.”
Tucson’s experiment demonstrates that a 911 center can evolve into something far broader: a community-care network that values the right response over the fastest response—and that’s a transformation worth watching.
Best Practices for Implementing Alternative 911 Programs
Implementing an alternative 911 program requires a structured, deliberate approach. Patrick Botz, a 911 transformational change leader with NiCE, describes the process as “a set of puzzle pieces” that need to fit together to ensure the program meets community needs while maintaining operational efficiency.
1. Establish a Clear Vision and Program Goals
The first step is to establish a clear vision and define program goals. According to Botz, several main types of alternative 911 approaches are evolving, including external hotline-led dispatch and embedded professional-led dispatch. Once a model is chosen, clear goals should be articulated. The program’s objectives could include improving community outcomes, reducing unnecessary emergency dispatches, and optimizing resource allocation.
2. Form a Working Group
Next, it’s critical to identify the right stakeholders and form a cross-functional working group. Botz emphasizes that this group should extend beyond the 911 center: “You want program management representatives from the mayor’s office, police, and fire departments to ensure everyone’s needs are satisfied.” This group oversees program design, determines eligible call types, and ensures alignment between dispatch, responders, and community services.
3. Identify Calls Eligible for Diversion
A key step is identifying which calls are appropriate for diversion. Botz recommends using a funnel approach to narrow eligibility. “You go through the funnel and figure out which calls are eligible for diversion,” he explains. “It ensures you’re not sending responders unnecessarily, while still addressing community needs.”
4. Train Staff and Establish Performance Metrics
Training is vital for both dispatchers and clinicians. Staff must understand program protocols, know when to transfer calls, and follow consistent procedures. Alongside training, performance metrics track program success. Botz highlights that measuring outcomes is essential. Key metrics to track might include:
Botz notes, “Some metrics aren’t always easy to measure because they come from multiple systems. But tracking these outcomes is critical to understanding the program’s effectiveness.”
5. Monitor Quality and Evaluate Results
Finally, establishing a consistent quality assurance program is critical. According to Botz, this involves reviewing calls, ensuring proper transfers, and providing ongoing feedback. “Quality monitoring is very important,” he says. “You need to listen to calls, evaluate them, provide feedback, and make sure everyone is closing the loop properly.”
By maintaining rigorous QA processes, programs can ensure that calls are consistently routed to the right resources, staff remain compliant with protocols, and the program continues to meet community needs.
6. Iterate and expand
Use data to refine protocols, expand successful services, and integrate new technology.
All of these practices, applied consistently, are key to program success, as demonstrated in Anoka and Tucson.
The Role of Technology
Technology is the backbone of modern alternative 911 programs, enabling faster, more accurate, and more efficient responses. Technology ties everything together, making alternative 911 scalable, sustainable, and precise. Several key tools and systems make these programs successful:
Telehealth & Crisis Integration
Telehealth platforms allow immediate connection with nurses, doctors, or behavioral health specialists. By integrating these services with dispatch systems, callers can receive medical or mental health guidance without requiring a physical response, reducing unnecessary ER visits and freeing first responders for higher-acuity emergencies.
Automated & Self-Service Systems
Routine or non-emergency calls can be handled by automated systems, like self-service portals, chatbots, or alarm integrations. This reduces 911 congestion and allows call takers to focus on urgent or complex situations.
Data Sharing & Interoperability
Technology enables seamless communication between 911 centers, hospitals, mental health agencies, and community responders. Interoperable systems allow all partners to access the necessary information quickly, while maintaining strict privacy and security standards. This coordination ensures care continuity for individuals in crisis and enables more informed decision-making at every step.
Dashboards & Analytics
Modern dashboards allow 911 centers and their partner organizations to see real-time call activity, monitor response times, and track outcomes. These visualizations provide insights into which types of calls are being diverted, how quickly responders arrive, and what the results of those interventions are. For example, Tucson uses dashboards to track mental health call outcomes, identify trends, and spot areas where additional resources or training are needed. Dashboards also allow supervisors to quickly identify bottlenecks or operational issues, ensuring that the system continuously adapts and improves.
“Having dashboards that combine phone data, CAD information, and event types lets us drill down into specific areas or call types,” notes Morrissey, “It’s invaluable for ensuring we’re meeting community needs and keeping staff on track.”
Quality Assurance (QA) Tools
QA tools are essential for maintaining high standards in alternative response programs. They automate call review, flagging incidents that require follow-up, and allowing supervisors or embedded clinicians to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Supervisors can share QA insights with dispatchers and responders, identifying skill gaps and providing targeted coaching to improve service.
These tools also reduce human error and free staff from manually reviewing every call, allowing them instead to focus on high-priority or complex cases. Anoka County, for example, uses QA analytics to monitor every diverted mental health call, ensuring that clinicians’ interventions align with best practices and yield positive outcomes for clients.
With AI-powered transcription, 911 centers can also leverage automated transcription and tagging to target specific types of calls for QA review (for example calls related to behavioral health, welfare checks, or other criteria), which helps to ensure calls are routed and handled correctly.
By combining dashboards, QA tools, telehealth, and data integration, technology not only improves the efficiency of alternative 911 programs but also supports dispatcher well-being, reduces response errors, and ensures that the right care reaches the right people at the right time.
Summary
Alternative 911 programs are fundamentally reshaping emergency response. By directing the right help to the right people at the right time, communities save resources, reduce strain on law enforcement and EMS, and most importantly, provide better, more compassionate care.
These programs deliver measurable results: faster and more tailored responses, improved staff wellbeing, reduced costs, and stronger community trust. Cities like Anoka County and Tucson demonstrate that with data-driven protocols, embedded professionals, robust QA, and technology, emergency services can evolve to meet the real needs of the public. Alternative 911 isn’t just an innovation—it’s the future of emergency response.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about technology and best practices needed to successfully implement or expand alternative 911 response programs in your community? Reach out to PSInfo@NiCE.com to learn more.
988 Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lifeline for behavioral health crises.
311 Non-Emergency Services for municipal issues and quality-of-life concerns.
Nurse Triage for low-acuity medical calls.
Community Responders for non-violent, lower-level incidents.
ASAP-to-PSAP Alarm Diversion, which reduces false alarms and unnecessary dispatches.
Self-Service for Police to answer routine questions without tying up 911 lines.
External hotline-led dispatch: Here, 911 call takers transfer appropriate calls to an external hotline, which handles the crisis over the phone and deploys community responders if necessary. This model is used in programs like 988 mental health and suicide prevention service.
Embedded professional-led dispatch: in this model, specially trained professionals are embedded within the 911 center. When a call is identified as suitable for community responders, it is warm-handed off to the embedded professional rather than being sent directly to the field.
Civilian emergency response teams: Teams consisting of clinicians and paramedics, like Denver's STAR program, provide direct support to people experiencing mental health crises, homelessness, or substance use issues.
Self-service programs: Allow individuals to access information or services directly without contacting 911 for minor or routine requests.
Faster, more tailored responses: People receive the care they need without unnecessary ER visits or police involvement. Also enhances care for individuals in crisis, including behavioral health and substance use support.
Resource optimization: Reduces the strain on law enforcement and EMS, ensuring officers and paramedics are available for serious emergencies. Also reduces unnecessary hospital transports and ER congestion.
Cost savings: Alternative 911 programs can generate measurable cost savings. For example, medium to large centers handling 50,000 annual calls can save $125,000 per year for every 1% reduction in police or ambulance dispatches. An 8% reduction could save up to $1 million annually. Both Anoka County and Tucson programs have reported significant reductions in dispatch costs and emergency room utilization. Kari Morrissey, Director, Anoka County 911 notes, “We’ve seen that transferring calls to the right service can save hundreds of dollars per incident, and the cumulative effect is huge.”
Staff well-being and morale: More breathing room between calls and a clear framework for handling crises improves telecommunicator job satisfaction. Also supports staff morale by decreasing repetitive or low-acuity call volume.
Better long-term outcomes: Callers get connected with services like housing, social support, or mental health care, addressing the root cause rather than just the immediate incident.
Community trust and engagement: Programs like Tucson’s 311 system build relationships between residents and responders, creating a more responsive, supportive public safety ecosystem.
Data sharing must come early. Without real-time integration across agencies, innovation stalls.
Public education matters. Even the best systems fail if people don’t understand when to use them.
Consistency is non-negotiable. Whether it’s 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., the process must remain clear and reliable.
Outcomes matter more than speed. The goal isn’t just dispatching quickly—it’s connecting people with the right help for long-term wellbeing.
Calls transferred to external hotlines or 311
Nurse triage response times and durations
Call resolution outcomes: resolved on scene, police or medical backup required, transport, or involuntary hold
Calls diverted that previously would have required dispatch
