From the Star-Courier: Plano (Texas) Fire Chief Hugo Esparza presented the council with a plan he said would proactively address the issue of false 911 calls over the next three years, while not costing the city any money.

The Department of Health and Human Services has allocated $30 million in grant money to fund new, innovative ways of dealing with the 911 callers. Esparza would like to apply for about $1 million in money to fund a proposal it is calling "community paramedics."

He said the department would take two or three of its most experienced paramedics and provide them the proper social training to deal with those that frequently call 911 for illegitimate reasons. He said through education, as well as ensuring the patients are taking their medication properly and getting any medical help they need, the department hopes to reduce the number of calls it receives. The grant money would be used to hire new firefighters to replace the community paramedics.

Esparza and Glasscock said if the program is successful, there is the possibility that local hospitals could pick up the tab after three years. If that is not the case, the council would be forced to find money in the budget to fund the three additional positions, or risk having to reduce staff through attrition or as a last resort, a reduction in force.