New pilot San Jose paramedicine team aims to steer patients away from emergency room

THE SAN JOSE FIRE DEPARTMENT is rethinking how it responds to emergency medical calls.

Under a new pilot program, greenlit by the City Council as part of the recently completed annual budget process, the city is preparing to launch a “community paramedicine” team of firefighter paramedics trained to help patients with complex needs that can’t be fixed with a trip to the emergency room.