By Molly Balison
On February 28, Ada County Paramedics Captain Jeremiah Wickham and Public Information Officer Ryan Larrondo paid a visit to the Word on the Street editorial meeting. A series of conversations about first responders’ interactions with citizens in the area surrounding Interfaith Sanctuary sparked the need to invite both parties into the discussion.
Janet Kaufman, supervisor of the anger management group Just Mad, helped facilitate the conversation where both guests and a first responder shared their experiences and perspectives with each other. Several Interfaith guests and staff stated they’ve felt disregarded as an inconvenience in prior interactions with first responders even though they called on those trained to help.
“I think we all want to understand the actions from this community that have led to that kind of treatment coming to us,” Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jodi Peterson-Stigers said to set the intention for the meeting. “We could learn more about that so we can understand and help to manage it so it’s a better experience for everyone.”
After 20 years of service to Ada County, Paramedics Captain Jeremiah Wickham explained how he’s observed the mutual frustration that stems from getting numerous calls from the same location or individuals. As the middle man for the emergency room and the person in need, if a paramedic receives irritation from the hospital, it may unintentionally be carried over to the patient.
Wickham reminded the group that paramedics are only allowed to take patients to the emergency room even though he would like the option to transport people to other supportive services such as Terry Reilly.
Viola Crowley experienced this irritation first hand when she was a guest at Interfaith and had a health emergency that lacked communication, reassurance and understanding. To encourage rather than force compliance, paramedics need to communicate the urgency of an incident from a medical standpoint and Interfaith staff need to reassure guests that they will have a spot to sleep at the shelter.
It’s challenging for Interfaith Staff to help manage an individual’s mental health crisis in a 10,000 square foot facility in close proximity to other guests and staff. When the person becomes a danger to themselves or others, the only option left is for staff to call 911.
Nicki Vogel, director of Project Well Being, recalled how she called 911 after trying to help a woman who was experiencing a mental health crisis out in the middle of the street, but was not met with assistance. This raised the question: if both first responders and the shelter staff have limitations in how they can help, what can be done?
Wickham encouraged staff to not be fearful to call 911 and trust the paramedics to help. “When the tones go off and we respond, it’s no different than anyone doing their job,” he said.
In these crisis situations, it’s as if trauma meets trauma. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 30% of first responders develop behavioral health issues such as PTSD and over 80% report experiencing trauma on duty. With 56 hour work weeks, this is a career that requires resilience to withstand the intensity.
The civil discussion allowed both parties to brainstorm solutions to foster empathy between homeless shelters and first responders. One idea was for Interfaith to host a meet and greet luncheon for guests and first responders to get to know each other and hear each other’s stories over a meal. The tension in the air at the beginning of the conversation melted and was replaced with excitement about creating relationships and rapport.
“We work so closely but our only interactions are quick handoffs,” Vogel said. “If we’re familiar with each other, the next time we see each other we’re going to have more trust in each other.”
Word on the Street’s photographer, Gypsy Wind, suggested that paramedics and guests reverse role play to reenact a situation in each other’s shoes. “Have real world classes here at the sanctuary and a focused group to teach the students lessons and teach our staff here etiquette…we come from a rough bunch,” he said.
Since education helps bridge the gap created by misunderstandings, another idea was to introduce a program for the unhoused population to network with the Ada County Paramedics Academy and learn what it takes to respond to a crisis.
Peterson-Stigers brought up that some neighbors surrounding the construction of a new shelter on State Street are concerned Interfaith Sanctuary would exhaust first responders’ resources. However, for Interfaith Sanctuary to obtain a conditional use permit, the facility is required to have medical personnel from Terry Reilly and Full Circle Health on site. The current shelter on River Street doesn’t have the capacity to give everyone 24/7 access to the facility, leaving them with no choice but to face the elements, stressors and dangerous situations on the streets resulting in more 911 calls in the area. However, the State Street shelter guests will have 24 hour access to the building which should alleviate the influx of 911 calls.
Interfaith Sanctuary’s Director of Operations, Nathan Smith, said, “We’re all fatigued. We’re all bringing our own history, we’re all bringing the human elements together and we’re trying to function in a system that isn’t perfect and it takes a lot of compassion, a lot of understanding, a lot of trying to put ourselves in each other’s shoes. It’s about human connection too. We can improve those relationships so we can become more familiar with battalions”
Larrondo explained that if anyone has a negative experience with an EMT or paramedic, they can call the non-emergency dispatch line to reach a supervisor whom the paramedics report to. “We want to hear that feedback because we don’t want any of our providers going around being rude to our community members,” he said.
The WOTS team thanked Wickham and Larrondo for their service to the community and willingness to build relationships with the unhoused.
“Everybody involved, from the hospital to fire to us, everybody’s intentions are good. The way they come across may not be,” Wickham said. “You wouldn’t do this job if you didn’t have good intentions.”