Novato reports high demand for emergency support team

Just 10 months into a pilot program, Novato’s “alternative response” team has handled more than 1,300 calls for service.

The city launched the Specialized Assistance for Everyone program, or SAFE, last April. The team, a partnership with the Petaluma People Services Center, is intended to ease the workload on police, firefighters and paramedics.

The two-member team, which includes a crisis intervention specialist and a medic, handles incidents such as substance abuse and mental health calls.