Government
BY BEN THOMPSON
Safety initiative looks to bolster downtown EMS presence
Lady Bird Lake waterfront deaths Accidental drowning Suicide Murder
A city initiative launched last year in response to safety concerns around Rainey Street will likely become a permanent fixture as part of an expanded EMS presence downtown. The medic deployment helped dozens of people and officials said likely prevented several injuries or deaths near Lady Bird Lake between June 2023 and early April. On average, one paramedic and one EMT staffed a special response unit, or SRU—a golf cart-sized vehicle flexible for medical responses in the busy entertainment district on weekends. Medics logged responses to dozens of incidents over the course of the pilot, including multiple water rescues, according to EMS records. An EMS spokesperson said the pilot “abso- lutely” helped prevent injuries or deaths in the area, and Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie said the program’s impact was likely far greater than the nearly 50 formally reported responses.
Overdose
Natural causes
Undetermined/other
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
2015
2016 2017
2018 2019 2020 2021 2024 *OF THE FIVE ACCIDENTAL DROWNINGS IN 2023, FOUR TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE EMS PILOT PROGRAM BEGAN AND THE FIFTH WAS ON A WEEKDAY NIGHT WHEN NO MEDICS WERE STATIONED ON RAINEY STREET. 2022 2023*
SOURCE: AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Of five accidental drownings reported in 2023, four took place before the EMS pilot program began, while the fifth occurred when no medics were stationed in the area. This year, a person who died of an undetermined cause was found in the lake about a week after the program ended.
What’s next Following the perceived success of the pilot, City Council voted to establish a permanent EMS command for the downtown area starting in October. A similar safety pilot will also begin in The Domain.
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