Health care
BY TAYLORE GILLS & AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
RightSite tool aims to enhance firefighter emergency response nearby urgent care center, write them a prescrip- tion, suggest over-the-counter medicine and more. After the initial meeting, the doctor will follow up with the patient over the phone throughout the Call types to 911 in 2025 Emergency Medical Service, or EMS, calls continue to be the highest call volume for service, Lozano said.
The New Braunfels Fire Department is now using an emergency response tool called RightSite to better meet the medical needs of residents. The RightSite tool’s purpose is to decrease the unnecessary use of emergency rooms through ambulance transportation. The city’s fire depart- ment began using the tool April 10. How it works After 911 is called, dispatchers arrive at a resi- dent’s or visitor’s location. Then, first responders assess the person’s illness or injuries and decide if transporting to the emergency room is the most appropriate solution. If not, they will scan a QR code on their tablet that will connect them to a board-certified ER doctor, who will provide immediate assistance and instruction, Fire Chief Ruy Lozano said during an April 6 special City Council meeting. Once the patient’s vitals and symptoms are discussed, the doctor may connect them with a
EMS Incident
following week. Why it matters
76.4%
5.8% Unintentional system/detector operation (no fire)
NBFD responded to over 14,600 calls in 2025, according to the April 6 meeting presentation. Emergency Medical Service, or EMS, calls continue to be the highest call volume for service, Lozano said. However, not all of those patients required an emergency room visit. Lozano said transporting a citizen to the ER usually takes firefighters well over an hour due to the time it takes to transport and finish the report. “When the firefighters use RightSite, they’re able to get back to service within 20 minutes, so that creates capacity because now they’re available for other calls without having to pay for additional firefighters,” he said.
4.6% Public service assistance
3.3% Dispatched and canceled en route
Fire
1.8%
1.7% System or detector malfunction 1.5% Wrong location, no emergency found
SOURCE: NEW BRAUNFELS FIRE DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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