Alternative emergency response programs have the potential to connect people in crisis to teams of unarmed responders who provide compassionate care and needed services, reduce overreliance on law enforcement, and decrease strain on other first responders. As jurisdictions establish these programs, leaders must use data in real time for performance management and continuous improvement, which can increase programs’ potential to deliver on the promise of alternative response.
This tool includes 29 common, actionable metrics used by alternative emergency response teams across the country to answer questions such as: Where are there opportunities to respond to additional calls? Are the people served by alternative response teams successfully connecting to services? How is the traditional emergency response system impacted by alternative response teams?
Each metric is paired with a common data source used to measure it, a recommended frequency of review, and a priority of either essential or supplemental.