Moving encampments off public streets has made it more difficult to provide medical support to

[TexasTowelie]

Moving encampments off public streets has made it more difficult to provide medical support to Austin’s unhoused


The camping ban set back years of progress local emergency services made in serving people experiencing homelessness, making it harder and more expensive to respond to an increase in emergency calls, according to a top emergency services official.

The ban forced more people out of easily accessible areas, increasing the likelihood of injuries and making it more difficult for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services teams to provide preventive care and respond more quickly to emergencies, said Commander Blake Hardy, who oversees ATCEMS Community Health Paramedics.

“A call may come from somebody who just injured their ankle and can’t walk,” Hardy said. “If they’re in a tent on the side of the road, that’s just an ambulance. If they’re 200 yards in the woods, that’s an ambulance, an EMS rescue team, a commander, a fire engine.”

“(It) becomes a wilderness rescue involving multiple agencies and multiple apparatus,” he said.

In May, Austin voters approved Proposition B, which banned public encampments, prohibited resting in certain areas and set limitations on panhandling. The measure easily passed by a 15-point margin.

Read more: https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2021/12/moving-encampments-off-public-streets-has-made-it-more-difficult-to-provide-medical-support-to-austins-unhoused/