YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Every time the Yakima Fire Department responds to a 911 medical aid call, it costs the city hundreds of dollars.
But not every 911 medical aid call is an emergency.
The city is saving money this year by referring callers with non-life-threatening problems to a nursing hotline.
KIMA reports (http://is.gd/7h65Hm ) more than 80 calls have been referred to the hotline this year, saving the fire department about $5,000.
Dispatch manager Wayne Watland says the system has been tested the first few months of the year and the savings should increase with more 911 referrals to the nursing hotline.
