HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD Response to Grand Jury Report on First Responders____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 09/02/2025
Disposition: Resolution 15453
Agenda Item No: 7.b
Meeting Date: September 2, 2025
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Police
Prepared by: D.C. Spiller, Police Chief City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: RESPONSE TO THE GRAND JURY REPORT ON FIRST RESPONDERS
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL’S RESPONSE TO THE MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY
REPORT TITLED “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE
WHO SUPPORT US”
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to
execute the City of San Rafael’s response to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury Report titled, “Marin
County First Responders: Supporting those who Support Us”.
BACKGROUND:
The City is required to respond to the Grand Jury Report. Penal Code Section 933(c) states in part:
“No later than 90 days after the Grand Jury submits a final report…the governing body of
the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings
and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body.”
To comply with this statute, the City’s response to this Grand Jury report must be approved by resolution
of the City Council and submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Marin County Superior Court and the
Foreperson of the Grand Jury on or before September 17, 2025. A proposed resolution is provided as
Attachment 1.
On June 17, 2025, the 2024-2025 Marin County Civil Grand Jury released a report entitled “Marin County
First Responders: Supporting those who Support Us” (Attachment 2). The Grand Jury report addresses
the work of Marin County first responders, including law enforcement, fire services, paramedics, and
emergency department personnel, who routinely confront societal challenges. Among these challenges,
substance abuse, mental health crises, violence, and homelessness continue to strain public services
available throughout the county. As a result, the Civil Grand Jury report explores the expansion of
alternative response strategies.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
This Grand Jury report can also be accessed at the following link:
https://assets.marincounty.gov/marincounty-prod/public/2025-
06/Marin%20County%20First%20Responders.pdf
The Grand Jury Report presents the following findings:
F1 Because the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team in San Rafael has proven to be
an effective alternative for responding to 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance
abuse, and homelessness, some police and fire resources have been freed to respond to critical
calls.
F2 Because San Rafael’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are limited, some
911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness must be
unnecessarily handled by police officers.
F3 Because Novato’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are limited, some
911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness must be
unnecessarily handled by police officers.
F4 Expanded hours of coverage for Novato’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team
would lighten the burden on Novato Fire’s Emergency Medical Services responders.
F5 Because no Specialized Assistance for Everyone (SAFE) teams operate in Southern Marin, West
Marin, or unincorporated Marin County, police and ambulance resources continue to respond to
911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness that could be better
served by a different kind of response team.
F6 Because there are no permanent dedicated funding sources for the Specialized Assistance for
Everyone (SAFE) teams in Marin County, these programs face insecure futures no matter how
successful they are.
F7 Due to a lack of communication, miscommunication, and/or misunderstandings, dedicated beds
at the Helen Vine Recovery Center are underutilized by Marin County law enforcement as an
option for short-term sobering.
F8 Because a new statewide 911 system (NextGen911) has been significantly delayed, Marin
County lacks appropriate backup resources for the emergency dispatch center at 1600 Los
Gamos Drive in the event of a disaster.
F9 Because of geography, cost, and time-to-use, an emergency communications van is an effective
and immediate option to fill the back-up dispatch gap in the event of a disaster until a new
statewide 911 system (NextGen911) is available.
F10 The establishment of the bidirectional exchange of clinical information between Emergency
Medical Services and area hospitals is crucial to the assessment of emergency event treatment
as well as planning for the best use of ambulance and public health res ources.
The Grand Jury Report presents the following list of recommendations:
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
R1 By March 1, 2026, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should find a long-term funding source
to fund Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams throughout the County.
R2 By March 1, 2026, the City Council of San Rafael should fund additional Specialized Assistance
For Everyone (SAFE) team resources when requested by the San Rafael Police Department
following its evaluation of the current program.
R3 By December 1, 2025, the Novato Fire Protection District should contribute partial funding to the
City of Novato for support of the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) program.
R4 By December 1, 2025, the Marin County Chiefs of Police Association should advise their
respective police departments to utilize the Helen Vine Recovery Center as the preferred drop-off
option for intoxicated individuals and engage in an active introductio n, education, and relationship
with Helen Vine Recovery Center.
R5 By December 1, 2025, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should request the Health and
Human Services Department to amend its metrics to include a method for police departments to
report when they have been turned away from delivering an intoxicated person to the Helen Vine
Recovery Center.
R6 By March 1, 2026, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should seek funding for a new mobile
communications van for the Marin County Fire Department, per department specifications.
R7 By December 31, 2025, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should require that the
Department of Health and Human Services Emergency Medical Services make quarterly reports
to the Board on the progress of the bidirectional data exchange until the program is fully
implemented.
R8 By December 31, 2025, the Marin Healthcare District should make quarterly reports on the
progress of the bidirectional data exchange at their public meetings until the program is fully
implemented.
ANALYSIS:
The Grand Jury Report dated June 17, 2025, was distributed to the County of Marin and all cities/towns
in Marin County.
Staff recommends that the City’s response should include any actions taken by the City or the Police
Department on the development of a public safety alternative response program, and to clarify the City’s
role for each of the Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations requiring a response from the City.
Responses to Findings:
The Marin Civil Grand Jury has asked the City of San Rafael to respond to findings F1-F2, F5-F6, R2
F1. Because the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team in San Rafael has proven
to be an effective alternative for responding to 911 calls related to mental health crises,
substance abuse, and homelessness, some police and fire resources have been freed to
respond to critical calls.
Response: Agree
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 4
The City agrees with this finding.
F2. Because San Rafael’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are limited,
some 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness must
be unnecessarily handled by police officers.
Response: Agree
The City agrees with this finding.
F5. Because no Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams operate in Southern Marin,
West Marin, or unincorporated Marin County, police and ambulance resources continue to
respond to 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness
that could be better served by a different kind of response team.
Response: Agree
The City agrees with this finding.
F6. Because there are no permanent dedicated funding sources for the Specialized Assistance
For Everyone (SAFE) teams in Marin County, these programs face insecure futures no
matter how successful they are.
Response: Agree
The City agrees with this finding.
Responses to Recommendations:
The Marin Civil Grand Jury has asked the City to respond to recommendations R2.
R2. By March 1, 2026, the City Council of San Rafael should fund additional Specialized
Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team resources when requested by the San Rafael Police
Department following its evaluation of the current program.
This recommendation requires further analysis. Staff recognizes the City Council’s support for the Police
Department’s alternative response pilot program known as Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE).
In its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2023, the City Council’s action to fund the SAFE Team
pilot program created the opportunity to realize the success of an alternative response strategy for public
safety. Since the approval of the funding for the pilot deployment of the SAFE Team, Police Department
staff have provided updates to the City Council and the community that include operational information
and statistics. The San Rafael SAFE Team deployment continues to be successful in supporting
vulnerable members of the community by providing this public safety alternative response in assigning
law enforcement and medical calls for service to the SAFE Team as a more appropriate resource,
particularly in cases of mental health, chemical dependency, and support to unhoused individuals.
Police Department staff continue to pursue grant funding and alternative funding sources to sustain the
SAFE Team resource beyond its scheduled pilot period. At the same time, the City Manager’s Office,
Finance Department, and Police Department continue to monitor expenditures for SAFE Team services
in San Rafael to maximize the duration of the program’s pilot. A summary of the SAFE Team pilot program
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 5
will be provided to the City Council in early 2026, which will include staff recommendations and potential
funding strategies moving forward.
In consideration of the Marin County Grand Jury recommendation #1 [R1. - By March 1, 2026, the Marin
County Board of Supervisors should find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For
Everyone (SAFE) teams throughout the County.] The City of San Rafael believes this recommendation
should be broader and should include the City of San Rafael. The City recommends a larger, countywide
effort to find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For Everyone, to include the City
of San Rafael, similarly to the rest of Marin County. City Staff feels strongly that San Rafael should not
be excluded from a countywide funding strategy simply because the City currently has a pilot program in
progress. Calls for service, emergency room diversions, ambulance diversions, and other criminal justice
diversions have proven the need for such a program in San Rafael, and the inclusion of the City of San
Rafael is imperative in a countywide funding solution. Moreover, as the county seat of Marin County, the
City of San Rafael experiences a higher level of activity within its jurisdiction and serves as a hub for
social services, resources for the unhoused, and other service centers for individuals who are frequently
supported by the SAFE Team.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
Police Department staff have provided information and outreach regarding the SAFE Team and its
services through formal San Rafael City Council meetings, in addition to meetings of the Police Advisory
and Accountability Committee. Promoting the SAFE Team and its support services that are available to
the community continues to be highlighted by the department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this required response to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter:
1.Adopt the resolution.
2.Adopt resolution with modifications.
3.Direct staff to return with more information.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to
execute the City of San Rafael’s response to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled, “Marin
County First Responders: Supporting those who Support Us”.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.Resolution, with attached City Response to the Grand Jury Report
2.Grand Jury Report dated June 17, 2025
RESOLUTION NO. 15453
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE
RESPONSE TO THE MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT
ENTITLED “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE
WHO SUPPORT US”
WHEREAS, pursuant to Penal Code section 933(c), a public agency which receives a
final grand jury report addressing aspects of the public agency’s operations must, within ninety
(90) days, provide a written response to the presiding judge of the Superior Court, with a copy
to the foreperson of the grand jury, responding to the report’s findings and recommendations
pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body; and
WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933(c) requires that the “governing body” of the public
agency provide said response and, in order to lawfully comply, the governing body must
consider and adopt the response at a noticed public meeting pursuant to the Brown Act; and
WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933.05 specifies the required contents of a city’s
response to findings and recommendations of a civil grand jury; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael has received and reviewed the
Marin County Grand Jury Report, dated June 17th, 2025, entitled “Marin County First
Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us”; and
WHEREAS, at a regular City Council meeting held on September 2, 2025, the City
Council discussed the report’s findings and recommendations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael
hereby:
1.Approves and authorizes the Mayor to execute the City’s response to the Marin County
Grand Jury’s June 17, 2025, report, entitled “Marin County First Responders:
Supporting Those Who Support Us” a copy of which response is attached hereto as
Attachment 1 and incorporated herein by reference.
2.Directs the City Clerk to forward the City’s response forthwith to the presiding judge of
the Marin County Superior Court, with copy to the foreperson of the Marin County Grand
Jury.
I, Lindsay Lara, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the San
Rafael City Council held on the 2ndth day of September 2025, by the following vote to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate
Councilmembers: None
Councilmembers: None
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT FINDINGS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
REPORT TITLE: “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO
SUPPORT US”
REPORT DATE: June 17, 2025
RESPONSE BY: San Rafael City Council
GRAND JURY FINDINGS
▪We agree with the finding(s) numbered: F1, F2, F5 and F6 (as directed by the Grand Jury)
▪The remaining findings are not at issue and do not require a response from the City of San
Rafael.
GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS
▪Recommendations numbered R# 1 along with R# 3 through R# 8 do not require a
response by the City of San Rafael.
▪Recommendations numbered R# 2 has not been implemented yet, but will be addressed in
the future.
Date: _____________________ Signed: __________________________
Mayor Kate Colin
ATTACHMENT 1
City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Report Findings and Recommendations
“MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US”
June 17, 2025
City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Page 2 of 3
RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY FINDINGS
F1. Because the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team in San Rafael has
proven to be an effective alternative for responding to 911 calls related to mental
health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness, some police and fire resources
have been freed to respond to critical calls.
Response: AGREE
F2. Because San Rafael’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are
limited, some 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and
homelessness must be unnecessarily handled by police officers.
Response: AGREE
F5. Because no Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams operate in
Southern Marin, West Marin, or unincorporated Marin County, police and
ambulance resources continue to respond to 911 calls related to mental health
crises, substance abuse, and homelessness that could be better served by a
different kind of response team.
Response: AGREE
F6. Because there are no permanent dedicated funding sources for the Specialized
Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams in Marin County, these programs face
insecure futures no matter how successful they are.
Response: AGREE
RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS
R2. By March 1, 2026, the City Council of San Rafael should fund additional
Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team resources when requested by
the San Rafael Police Department following its evaluation of the current program.
This recommendation requires further analysis. Staff recognizes the City Council’s support for the
Police Department’s alternative response pilot program known as Specialized Assistance For
Everyone (S.A.F.E.). In its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2023, the San Rafael City
City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Report Findings and Recommendations
“MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US”
June 17, 2025
City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Page 3 of 3
Council’s action to fund the SAFE Team pilot program, created the opportunity to realize the
success of an alternative response strategy for public safety. Since the approval of the funding
for the pilot deployment of the SAFE Team, Police Department staff has have provided updates
to the City Council and the community to include activity and statistics. The San Rafael SAFE
Team deployment continues to be successful in supporting vulnerable members of the community
by providing this public safety alternative response in assigning law enforcement and medical
calls for service to the SAFE Team as a more appropriate resource, particularly in cases of mental
health, chemical dependency and support to the unhoused.
Police Department staff continue to pursue grant funding and alternative funding sources to
sustain the SAFE Team resource beyond its scheduled pilot period. At the same time, the City
Manager’s Office, Finance Department staff and Police Department staff continue to monitor
expenditures for SAFE Team services in San Rafael to maximize the duration of the program’s
pilot. A summary of the S.A.F.E. Team pilot program will be provided to the City Council in early
2026, which will include staff recommendations and potential funding strategies moving forward.
In consideration of the Marin County Grand Jury recommendation #1 [R1. - By March 1, 2026,
the Marin County Board of Supervisors should find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized
Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams throughout the County.], The City of San Rafael believes
this recommendation should be broader and should include the City. The City recommends a
larger, county wide effort to find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For
Everyone to include the City of San Rafael similarly to the rest of the county. The City feels
strongly that San Rafael should not be carved out of a county wide funding strategy simply
because the City currently has a pilot program in progress. Calls for service, emergency room
diversions, ambulance diversions and other criminal justice diversions have proven the need for
such a program in San Rafael, and the inclusion of the City of San Rafael is imperative in a county -
wide funding solution. Moreover, as the county seat of Marin County, the City of San Rafael
experiences a higher level of activity within its jurisdiction and serves as a hub for social services,
resources for the unhoused, and other service centers for individuals who are frequently
supported by the SAFE Team.
2024-2025 Marin County Civil Grand Jury
Marin County First Responders:
Supporting Those Who Support Us
June 17, 2025
SUMMARY
Every day, police, fire, paramedics, and emergency department (ED) personnel confront societal
challenges that many of us rarely face directly: substance abuse, mental health crises, violence, and
homelessness. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the County1 agency that provides a comprehensive
system that delivers health and safety services to individuals experiencing sudden illness or injury.2 EMS
is under the direction of the Department of Health and Human Services and works in close collaboration
with the Marin County Fire Department (Marin Fire), overseeing paramedics.
Marin3 has made important strides in improving both the quality of services available to address these
complex issues and the tools provided to first responders. However, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury
(Grand Jury) finds the following gaps that should be closed:
● Marin currently has a limited number of alternative response teams with mental health and social
work expertise to assist law enforcement. Marin should have more coverage.
● Marin currently depends mostly upon jail and emergency departments to safely sober those
publicly intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. The County has contracted sobering beds that are being
underutilized by law enforcement.
● The Grand Jury is urging the County and the three local hospitals to implement a data exchange
to monitor and document Emergency Medical Services care and patient outcomes. Timely and
accurate data between EMS and the hospitals is critical to understanding how to improve services
for the public and support EMS development.
● Finally, the County’s emergency dispatchers lack adequate backup capabilities to continue
working in the event of a disaster. The Grand Jury reviewed a number of alternatives to improve
dispatch preparedness.
The following report details the need for improvements to support two constituencies: those who serve
and those who are served.
1 The term “County” throughout the report refers to both the governmental bodies and agencies of Marin County as
well as the unincorporated areas of Marin.
2 https://ems.marinhhs.org/marin-ems (accessed on 5/22/2025).
3 The term “Marin” means the entire county, including all of the cities, towns, and the unincorporated area governed
by the County of Marin.
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 2 of 19
BACKGROUND
It has become increasingly more difficult to be a first responder. Police face the growing
presence of people intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, experiencing homelessness, and mired in
mental health challenges. Firefighters face more intense and fast-moving fires. Paramedics/EMS
are not just medical resources, they now face patients with dual addiction and mental health
disorders who may have to be calmed before being medically treated. The same issues extend to
EDs.
Licensed mental health counselors4 and social workers5 hold advanced degrees, requiring at least
six years of training, plus internships or clinical rotations. Police officers are mandated to train
only 15 hours on the “Persons with Mental Illness” program.6 Paramedics are trained in crisis
management and mental health first aid, but not to the extent of the experts.7 The Grand Jury
investigated whether Marin expects too much of first responders and whether the County does
enough to support first responders and those struggling with these growing social issues.
Through its investigation, the Grand Jury asked:
● Should a resident suffering a mental health crisis be faced with a uniformed presence
with a badge and a gun?
● Should someone suffering from a night of binge drinking rely upon an expensive bed in
the ED and hospital staff to help them recover from their inebriated state?
● How can the County improve services, protocols, and training of paramedics if it does not
know if the treatments given to those taken to the ED were the best option?
● Does the County have the right equipment to ensure first responders can receive 911 calls
if communications go down in an extreme emergency?
The Grand Jury reviewed several County services that work hand-in-hand with first responders.
These services include a mobile mental health unit, street response teams, a recovery center, and
hospital EDs. Most of these services are triggered directly or indirectly by a 911 call from the
public.
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, “Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse,
Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors”, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-
service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm, (accessed 5/1/2025).
5 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, “Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social Workers”,
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm, (accessed 5/1/2025).
6 Carmen Lee, PWDF Program Coordinator for Public Awareness and Education, “California Enacts Mental Health
Training for Peace Officers,” People with Disabilities Foundation, Fall 2015, https://www.pwdf.org/update-
california-enacts-mental-health-training/, (accessed 4/27/25).
7 Lifeline EMS, “How EMS Providers Support Mental Health Emergencies,” Lifeline EMS, section 12, January 18,
2024,
https://lifeline-ems.com/how-ems-providers-support-mental-health-emergencies/#:~:text=EMS percent20providers
percent20receive percent20specialized percent20training,collaboratively percent20with percent20mental
percent20health percent20professionals, (accessed 5/1/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 3 of 19
The Center for American Progress and the Law Enforcement Action Partnership analyzed 911
calls across the country and discovered that approximately 23 to 39 percent were low-level calls
that could likely be managed without police or fire personnel.8 The Grand Jury believes these
calls present an opportunity to provide alternative options for first responders that do not have to
involve jail or a hospital ED.
This report focuses on four areas of potential improvement:
● Handling street crises with alternative resources
● Using sobering beds to manage non-violent drug or alcohol intoxication
● Improving data sharing to evaluate emergency and social services and paramedic
performance
● Ensuring first responders have communication options that enable them to perform
their jobs without delay or disruption in the event of a crisis
APPROACH
The Grand Jury reviewed academic publications, news reports, previous Grand Jury reports, and
government documents. The Grand Jury conducted tours and interviews, including but not
limited to:
● Law Enforcement personnel and leaders
● Fire, Paramedic, and Emergency Management Services clinicians and administrators
● County of Marin Health and Human Services (HHS) clinicians and administrators
● Clinical and administrative staff of MarinHealth Medical Center and the Marin
Healthcare District Board of Directors
● County department leaders
● Non-profit and support organizations
8 Amos Erwin, Betsy Pearl, “The Community Responder Model, How Cities Can Send the Right Responder to
Every 911 Call,” The Center for American Progress, executive summary, October 28, 2020,
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/community-responder-model/, (accessed 5/1/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 4 of 19
DISCUSSION
Support Teams
A 2023 report by The Associated Press found 14 of the 20 most populated U.S. cities had some
form of non-police response team.9 Marin County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
(BHRS) started a mobile mental health team in 2016 with funding from a state grant. The service
has been expanded over the years with the help of county and federal dollars.10 This team of
crisis specialists is called the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) and includes licensed
mental health clinicians, social service workers, and peer counselors. This team has three cars
and one van at its disposal, as well as additional support personnel.
According to BHRS statistics, in Fiscal Year 2024. MCRT received 3,042 calls. Approximately
66 percent of the calls were handled on the telephone, while 34 percent of the calls were
addressed in person. In the first ten months of Fiscal Year 2025, the team has already received
2,852 calls. Thirty-two percent of those calls required field responses, with the remaining 68
percent handled on the telephone. Forty-seven percent of the calls to MCRT in the last two fiscal
years came from San Rafael and Novato.11
While the MCRT provides long-term mental health and social services follow-up, there is
another kind of alternative response team operating in some Marin communities, called
Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams. These teams provide immediate emergency
crisis intervention and response to a 911 call.
SAFE is based on an Oregon model called Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, or
CAHOOTS, designed to divert people from the criminal justice system.12 Petaluma People
Services Center (PPSC) started a SAFE team in Petaluma in 2021.
In 2023, San Rafael turned to the SAFE team model provided by PPSC because MCRT could
not meet the growing need facing first responders. San Rafael needed more help and was able to
benefit from a one-time grant from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The San Rafael SAFE team’s primary objective is to build trust and connect with individuals in
distress. This emergency crisis and intervention team is composed of a trained crisis individual
with lived experience and an emergency medical technician (EMT). The team also has additional
9 Jennifer Peltz and Jesse Bedayn, “Many Big Cities Now Answer Mental Health Crises Calls With Civilians - Not
Police”, Associated Press, August 27, 2023,
https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-crisis-911-police-alternative-civilian-responders-
ca97971200c485e36aa456c04d217547, (accessed 5/12/25).
10 Richard Halsted, “Marin County Expands Mobile Crisis Services,” Marin Independent Journal, January 30,
20024, https://www.marinij.com/2024/01/27/marin-county-expands-mobile-crisis-services/, (accessed 5/1/25).
11 HHS Operational Report statistics provided to the Marin Civil Grand Jury for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025.
12 Ben Adam Climer, “The Report on the Implementation of an Integrated Health Response Team - Marin County,”
Critical Responses in Supportive Integrative Services Consulting, July 5, 2022,
https://publicrecords.cityofsanrafael.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=34816&dbid=0&repo=CityofSanRafael ,
(accessed 3/28/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 5 of 19
administrative and clinical support.13 SAFE team members dress in street clothes, carry granola
bars rather than guns, and respond to individuals needing crisis counseling, shelter,
transportation, or minor medical care. The team also carries a police radio for use if the call
becomes a safety issue and can follow up with referrals to social and mental health services.14
The Grand Jury finds the results of San Rafael’s SAFE team, now in the last year of a three-year
pilot program, have been overwhelmingly positive.
During the first full year of operation in 2024, the SAFE team handled 8.28 percent of calls that
would have been handled by San Rafael police officers, as shown in Figure 1. Based on an
approximately $700,000 annual contract, the 2024 cost per call for the SAFE team was $232.
Figure 1 - 2024 San Rafael Safe Team Calls for Service (CFS) Volume
Source: San Rafael Police Department 2024 Annual Report
Sending in the SAFE team rather than San Rafael police officers resulted in 68 emergency
department diversions, 42 jail diversions, and 103 ambulance diversions.15 The cost savings
achieved by these diversions can be significant. For example, PPSC reported that in the two
years SAFE teams have operated in Sonoma and Marin communities, avoiding emergency
department visits alone has offset over $2.5 million in costs to regional hospitals. However,
interviewees agreed that the greatest value of the SAFE teams is more appropriate service to the
public and better use of police resources, not financial savings.
Encouraged by the success of the San Rafael program, Novato has also contracted for a SAFE
team. Novato’s SAFE team started operating April 1, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesdays
through Saturdays. The budget for this limited program is approximately $500,000 per year
13 City of San Rafael Safe Team Services Agreement, p. 3 of Exhibit A-2.
14 Ben Adam Climer, “The Report on the Implementation of an Integrated Health Response Team - Marin County,”
Critical Responses in Supportive Integrative Services Consulting, July 5, 2022, p. 16,
https://publicrecords.cityofsanrafael.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=34816&dbid=0&repo=CityofSanRafael ,
(accessed 3/28/2025).
15 Based on operational data provided by the City of San Rafael.
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 6 of 19
using grant funding from county, state, and federal governments. After the first year, the cost
will be borne solely by the City of Novato, which is continuing to seek alternative funding.16
Because Novato’s ambulance services answer to a different taxing body, the Novato Fire
Protection District (NFPD), the Grand Jury believes the potential ambulance diversions by the
SAFE team would benefit the NFPD. This benefit could warrant a financial contribution from
the NFPD to support the SAFE team.
Ongoing funding is a challenge for all SAFE programs. The San Rafael SAFE team costs
approximately $700,000 annually to operate one full-time team 12 hours a day, seven days a
week, 365 days per year.17 To keep the program going, the City of San Rafael must shoulder the
cost or find other funding after the three-year pilot concludes March 28, 2026.
Marin’s cities have relied on one-time funding sources, like cannabis tax revenue and the
American Rescue Plan Act. Other regions have secured funding through community tax
measures like Sonoma County’s Measure O, which provides $25 million a year from a sales tax
hike for mental health programs and homelessness.18 Elected officials interviewed do not believe
increasing local sales tax is a good option. A slight increase in property taxes might be workable
if other permanent funding cannot be found. With federal dollars drying up, the onus is on the
state, county, and cities to find permanent funding. Continuing to exist on grants alone can be
precarious, administratively cumbersome, and time-consuming.
There is an advantage to local control over a SAFE team because of the immediacy of response
and the success seen in multiple jurisdictions. The County, however, may have the advantage
over a single municipality when it comes to receiving competitive grants.19 The County has a
broader jurisdictional reach, a larger and richer applicant base, and is better equipped to identify
and access governmental and non-governmental funding opportunities, and is in a position to
assure county-wide coverage.
Novato’s SAFE team is in its first months of operation, so there are few statistics to review, and
hours of coverage are limited. Despite this, based on the experience from the San Rafael SAFE
team, the number of emergency calls requiring police intervention should be reduced.
Interviewees say a second San Rafael SAFE team could handle three to four percent of
uncovered overnight calls and/or provide overlap for peak periods during the day. An evaluation
is underway to determine the flow of calls versus the SAFE team’s availability, which will
16 City of Novato Staff Report cc24-181, City Council of Novato Meeting, November 19, 2024, P. 3,
https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/2984664/cc24-181_SAFE_Contract.pdf
(accessed 5/1/2025).
17 City of San Rafael Safe Team Services Agreement, p. 1 of Exhibit A -1.
18 County of Sonoma, “Measure O: County of Sonoma, Mental Health, Addiction and Homeless Services,” p. 1,
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health-services/divisions/behavioral-health/about-
us/measure-o, (accessed 1/16/2025).
19 Amanda Hermans and Tomi Rajninger, “Local Governments with More Staff and Bigger Budgets Are More
Likely to Win Federal Infrastructure Grants,” Urban Institute, May 6, 2024, p.1,
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/local-governments-more-staff-and-bigger-budgets-are-more-likely-win-
federal#:~:text=Still%2C%20Urban%20Institute%20research%20has,its%20administrative%20capacity%20and%2
0budget, (accessed 5/5/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 7 of 19
determine if an overlapping team is necessary. Southern and Western Marin would also benefit
from SAFE teams and an expansion of the MCRT. The Grand Jury has been advised that some
data tracking is already underway outside of Novato and San Rafael to determine if there is a
need for a SAFE team beyond those cities. The biggest issue is finding the money. The Grand
Jury believes it is an issue well worth addressing.
Sobriety Centers
Marin has the same concerns as any other county when it comes to dealing with drug and alcohol
issues. In Marin, accidental overdose is the leading cause of death for people under 55.20 While
the number of non-fatal drug overdoses temporarily decreased in 2024, the projection for 2025 is
an increase of approximately 16 percent.21
According to the 2022 Community Needs Health Assessment conducted by MarinHealth
Medical Center, 23.4 percent of Marin residents report excessive drinking versus 18.1 percent for
the State of California.22 A random review of the Marin County Public Booking Log maintained
by the County Jail found that 22 percent of the 246 incarcerated individuals on a particular day
were booked for Driving while Under the Influence (DUI), Drunk and Disorderly, or Under the
Influence of Drug charges.23 While DUIs require police intervention and arrests, the crimes of
alcohol or drug intoxication alone can be addressed by placing the person arrested in a bed in a
sobering center rather than in the County Jail.
As its name suggests, a sobering center is a facility designed for short-term stays for individuals
recovering from the effects of extreme alcohol and/or drug intoxication. It allows individuals to
get sober in a safe environment, monitored by medical personnel and staff who are often in
various stages of recovery themselves. This setting provides shelter, meals, monitoring, and
access to social programs and/or organizations to assist in addressing a particular addiction. A
sobering center is a far better option than jail or hospital EDs.
Sobering centers also benefit the community and provide multiple efficiencies for understaffed
police departments and ED personnel. The cost for up to six hours in a local sobering bed is
20 OD Free Marin. Data Dashboard - Marin County Overdose Data. Community-based coalition in partnership with
the Health and Human Services Department, https://odfreemarin.org/data-dashboard/, originally created 04/22/2023,
(accessed 05/05/2025).
21 OD Free Marin. Data Dashboard - Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose. Community-based coalition in partnership with
the Health and Human Services Department, 4/11/2023, updated 5/5/25, https://odfreemarin.org/data-dashboard/,
(accessed 5/5/2025).
22 MarinHealth Medical Center in conjunction with Healthy Marin Partnership. Conducted by Community Health
Insights,”2022 Community Needs Assessment”, Table 13 - County health behavior indicators compared to state
benchmarks, https://www.mymarinhealth.net/documents/content-assets/about-us/2022-Community-Health-Needs-
Assessment.pdf, page 41, (accessed 5/01/2025).
23 County of Marin, “Public Booking Log”, Currently in Custody section, https://apps.marincounty.org/bookinglog,
(accessed 4/08/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
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$302,24 while the cost of an average arrest is between $6,900 to $15,400.25 Diverting the publicly
intoxicated allows law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes. Inebriated persons
recovering in a sobering center instead of being taken to an ED avoid the average visit cost of
$2,715 and enable hospital personnel to treat more severe medical issues.26 A San Francisco
study conducted in 2002 reported that inebriated individuals spent 48 percent more time in EDs
than non-intoxicated people.27 A study conducted in 2019 estimated that diverting 50 percent of
alcohol-related visits from EDs to sobering centers could save the United States up to $1 billion
annually.28
Sobering centers have been in existence since the 1960s and are currently enjoying a resurgence
in communities seeking alternative solutions for publicly intoxicated individuals. The sobering
center concept is certainly not new to Marin County. A previous Grand Jury published a report in
2013 supporting the establishment of a standalone sobering center in Marin.29 While a standalone
sobering center was not established, the County contracts for sobering beds with the Helen Vine
Recovery Center (Helen Vine), owned by Buckelew Programs, which has substantially
broadened its service offerings since 2011.
Helen Vine is a licensed, non-medical, co-ed facility that operates 24/7. Two of its 30 beds are
paid for by the County and specifically dedicated for up to six-hour increments for sobering.
Helen Vine serves as a gateway to obtain services for community members seeking to overcome
most addictions. The programs offered by Helen Vine range from the recently introduced Respite
Program, monitoring for several hours up to 10 days, to withdrawal management, to residential
sober living. In 2026, Helen Vine will be opening an additional residential facility in San Rafael
to address not only alcohol and drug addictions, but some minor mental health issues as well.
The Grand Jury uncovered a discrepancy between police perception of Helen Vine’s bed
availability and Helen Vine’s actual capacity. A number of police departments routinely cite
being turned away from Helen Vine because of “full capacity” issues. Interviewees suggest law
enforcement officers are dropping off fewer intoxicated individuals at Helen Vine than in
previous years due to a perception that beds are not available. Between July 1, 2024, and March
24 HHS Contract with Buckelew Programs, Second Amendment to Contract by and between the County of Marin
and Buckelew Programs, Helen Vine Recovery Center, Respite Program, CPT Codes and Rates, Exhibit B-2.
25 Priscilla Evelyn Hunt, Jessica Saunders, and Beau Kilmer, “Estimates of Law Enforcement Costs by Crime Type
for Benefit-Cost Analyses”, Cambridge Press, December 5, 2018, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-
of-benefit-cost-analysis/article/abs/estimates-of-law-enforcement-costs-by-crime-type-for-benefitcost-
analyses/0A1A55F70324FDBAA947FF1F18AA1B74, (accessed 4/01/2025).
26 Brianne Smith, DNP, PhD, “Emergency Room Visit Cost With and Without Insurance” (2025 Update), Mira,
Inc., 02/25/2025, https://www.talktomira.com/post/how-much-does-an-er-visit-cost (accessed 4/15/2025).
27 Ilene Lelchuk, “Homeless Alcoholics Clog ER/S.F. Hospital Forced to Turn Away Others”, 1/19/2023, SFGATE,
https://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Homeless-alcoholics-clog-ERs-S-F-hospitals-2678559.php# (accessed
5/23/2025).
28 Claudia Scheuter et al., “Cost Impact of Sobering Centers on National Health Care Spending in the United
States,” Translational Behavioral Medicine 10, no. 4 (August 2020): pp. 998–1003
29 2012/13 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Report, “A Sobering Center in Marin - One Small Step to Solving a Big
Problem”, 2/22/13, Public Release Date - 2/28/13.
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Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 9 of 19
31, 2025, a HHS Utilization report indicated only 16 bed days were used for police drop-offs at
Helen Vine.30
While the Grand Jury could not definitively validate the reason for the discrepancy, interviewees
indicated the issues may be a lack of communication, simple miscommunication, or an imperfect
interaction. Strong communications between law enforcement and sobering centers are critical.
Police need to quickly assess the best solution for intoxicated individuals, and one bad or less
than desirable experience at any sobering center can sour an entire police department on a
sobering center’s performance.31 If new or existing employees at Helen Vine are not fully
educated in or do not comply with admittance policies and turn away a police officer, the end
result can be a permanently negative impression. A single, unanswered voicemail can also have
the same result. If a sobering center is not viewed as a viable option for inebriated individuals,
newly hired police officers, who represent a significant number of officers in Marin County, may
not even be aware of its existence. Better data is needed to understand why and if police are
being turned away.
Whatever the reason for the discrepancy in the availability of sobering beds, the good news is
that Helen Vine has recently hired two personnel to navigate the various County services
available to clients. Among other responsibilities, their duties include proactively reaching out to
all law enforcement and Marin hospitals. The intent of the outreach is to educate and establish a
communications link between Helen Vine and police departments, as well as between Helen
Vine and hospitals. While this effort has just begun, the Grand Jury encourages Helen Vine to
continue this course of action and also expand its outreach to other community support groups
(e.g., SAFE Teams in San Rafael and Novato, MCRT, etc.). The Grand Jury also suggests that
Helen Vine contact the Marin County Police Chiefs Association, which represents all 11
municipalities. Similarly, Marin police departments should contact Helen Vine to better
understand not only the sobering bed options but also the other comprehensive programs offered.
The ultimate goal is better use of sobering beds at Helen Vine. Law enforcement should be
encouraged to see Helen Vine as the first option. Increasing the number of individual drop-offs at
Helen Vine allows law enforcement and ED personnel to focus on more serious crimes and
medical care, and reduces the number of time-consuming, expensive arrests and ED charges. A
further bonus is that individuals taken to Helen Vine are introduced to trained professionals,
social services, and recovery programs that are ultimately better suited to address chronic
addiction issues.
The Grand Jury recommends enhanced communications between law enforcement and Helen
Vine to achieve full utilization of sobering beds.
30 HHS Helen Vine Utilization Report Extract, 07/01/2024 - 03/31/2025. Operations report provided by HHS,
4/28/2025.
31 International Association of Chiefs of Police, “Sobering Centers Implementation Guide”, Section 3.4 Proactive
Outreach, p. 14. https://www.policinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Evaluating-the-Utility-of-Sobering-
Centers_Project-Summary_FINAL.pdf, (accessed 4/28/2025).
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Data Exchange Between Emergency Medical Services and Emergency
Departments
Planning for the future, justifying more resources for first responders, and better training are
highly dependent upon timely, accurate, and detailed data for each emergency event.32 The
Marin hospitals have been asked by EMS to commit to a bidirectional data sharing through an
ambulance services agreement. The three hospitals are MarinHealth Medical Center, Kaiser
Permanente San Rafael Medical Center, and Novato Community Hospital.
In 2017, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology published a
report discussing the advantages of integrating EMS services data with local hospital data to
optimize patient care. This report outlines a model referred to as SAFR, which is reliant on
electronic data exchange:33
● Search – Capture individuals’ previous interventions for past medical history,
medications, allergies, and end-of-life decisions.
● Alert – Alert the receiving hospital about an individual’s status directly onto a dashboard
in the ED to provide decision support and prepare for an individual’s arrival, especially
for conditions requiring time-sensitive treatment or therapy, such as trauma, heart attack,
or stroke.
● File – Provide the sequence of medical events to better assess the best disposition for a
given person (e.g., mental health crisis unit, outpatient sobriety center, community clinic,
etc.)
● Reconcile – Build a database of clinical information for reviewing quality of care in the
field locally, as well as submission to state and national organizations.
Establishing this clinical data exchange would ultimately support the emerging paramedicine
model.34 Paramedicine is expanded prehospital care that capitalizes on the skills of the EMS
professionals in the County ambulances and fire trucks. Alameda County implemented such a
model, which aims to coordinate care for 911 callers to avoid emergency room admissions and
refer them to appropriate community resources.35
32 Jan Green, EMS and Information Sharing The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology, “Emergency Medical Services Data Integration to Optimize Patient Care”, January 2017,
https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(14)00524-1/fulltext, pp. 5-7, (accessed 5/14/2025).
33 Challenges and Innovations in Getting Patient Data From the Ambulance to the Emergency Department and Back,
News and perspective, Volume 64, Issue 2p A15-A17August 2014, https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-
0644(14)00524-1/fulltext, (accessed 5/13/2025).
34 Erik Christiansen, “Mobile Integrated Health Care - Community Paramedicine”, Wauconda County Fire
Protection District, https://www.lakecountycf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LCCF-Funder-Presentation-MIH-
2022-.pdf, (accessed on 5/12/2025).
35 JEMS Staff, “Alameda County EMS Adopts Pre-Hospital Records and Hospital Interoperability Software from
Beyond Lucid Technologies for its Community Paramedicine Program”, Journal of Emergency Medicine, August
26, 2015, https://www.jems.com/mobile-integrated-health-and-community-paramedicine/alameda-county-ems-
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There is an urgent need for the same-day electronic exchange of patient information between the
Marin Fire/EMS ambulances and the three receiving hospitals. First, staff in the EDs would be
better informed to treat patients during a 911 event and better able to assess clinical outcomes to
support training following an ED admission. Second, data about the final disposition of the
patient (e.g., discharged home, delivered to sobriety center, etc.) is lacking. In preparing this
report, it was difficult to gather Marin-specific outcome and disposition data. This information
would be crucial to better plan and assess the needs for County resources.
County EMS is currently seeking to establish the first stage of an electronic data exchange. The
plan under consideration is to create a system that allows paramedics to input how and what they
are doing to treat patients on the scene into a system shared by the hospitals. This would allow
ED doctors to access all care given before the patient arrives in the ED. Once the patient is
dropped off, the exchange of data would then allow paramedics and EMS leadership to access
and review care given in the field for quality assurance and training. The exchange will also
provide the County with valuable information about patient disposition (e.g., discharged to
home, left against medical advice, referred to mental health, etc.).
The Grand Jury believes data exchange must be done now. As of the writing of this report, the
three hospitals and EMS have just recently signed an agreement to participate in the data
exchange. However, reaching an agreement is only the first step in a multi-step process to
implement the data exchange. The Grand Jury encourages all parties to work diligently and
quickly to begin sharing data that will lead to better services for the residents of Marin.
Emergency Backup for Dispatch Centers
In July of 2024, Marin Fire opened a consolidated fire dispatch center in the same location as the
Marin County Sheriff’s (County Sheriff) dispatch at 1600 Los Gamos Drive in San Rafael (Los
Gamos). Marin Fire dispatch was supposed to be connected with a new statewide 911 system
called NextGen911.36 The system was to bring the current, 40-plus-year-old 911 infrastructure
into the twenty-first century, anchored in a computing cloud rather than solely wired into
buildings.37 Computing clouds are collections of computer servers where documents,
applications, and services are stored, can be processed, and can be reached from anywhere via
the Internet.38 Just weeks before go-live, Marin Fire had to change course. California’s
NextGen911 was not ready, forcing Marin Fire to rely upon old equipment and the reliable
copper wire phone lines (hard-wire) that have delivered emergency calls to dispatchers for years.
adopts-pre-hospital-records-and-hospital-interoperability-software-from-beyond-lucid-technologies-for-its-
community-paramedicine-program/, (accessed 5/13/2025).
36 Operational information in this report was acquired through interviews with staff and leadership in the County
Fire Department, County Sheriff’s Department, Office of Emergency Management, and County Emergency Medical
Services.
37 CDI L.R. Kimball, “NG9-1-1 Transition Plan”, Cal OES, June, 2017, p. 2, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-
content/uploads/PSC/Documents/0001-NextGeneration911TransitionPlans.pdf, (accessed 2-5-2025).
38 https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-public-cloud, (accessed 2/11/2025).
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The promise of NextGen911 is mobility, fewer wires, more satellites, additional cell towers,
access to the Internet, and the ability for 911 services throughout the state to interact and back up
each other in the event of a disaster. The reality is an ambitious project struggling to meet its
promise. In November 2024, California's 911 Advisory Board put NextGen911 on hold after
multiple delays.39 NBC Bay Area News reported this fall that the new system was plagued by
technical problems, budget overruns, and the loss of its project manager.40 All of this is now
under review, with no estimate of when the new system will go live.
The good news is Marin Fire was able to withdraw from the NextGen911 agreement, return
equipment, and have the $300,000 allotted for the County’s NextGen911 transition restored to its
state “account” for future use. The bad news is that Marin Fire dispatch has no formal backup
system in the event Los Gamos is incapacitated by a catastrophe. While this is concerning,
County safety officials believe they have some time to correct the situation.
When the dispatch centers were upgraded and consolidated, the County also upgraded its overall
Emergency Operations Center at the Los Gamos location. Using local partnerships and federal
funding, improvements include upgraded technology, expanded capacity, and three Starlink
systems for internet redundancy. The changes are meant to speed information sharing, coordinate
response, and enhance communication with the public through channels like AlertMarin
notifications. But it does not provide back-up to receive and dispatch calls during an emergency
in which Los Gamos is not operable.
Los Gamos is, simply put, a beast! During the upgrade to bring Marin Fire’s dispatch operations
into the building, interviewees say it took over a month to jackhammer a hole in a wall to install
a door. Some walls are 18 to 36 inches thick. In the event of a disaster, there are redundant
generators and space to live and eat should it be necessary. County safety officials expressed
overwhelming confidence in the building's ability to survive the most likely disasters to befall it.
If the building cannot be used, mutual aid is available from the state. The problem is that the
County could be one of many seeking help, depending on the crisis. Interviewees agreed it is
essential to have local options in the event Los Gamos cannot be used.
For almost 20 years, the County Sheriff has relied on an aging mobile van for remote command
needs or in the event Los Gamos becomes inaccessible. Law enforcement can drive to a secure
location, power up antennas and three computers, and coordinate law enforcement’s response.
39 Donny Jackson, “California statewide deployment of NG911 ‘on hold’ pending project assessment,” Urgent
Communications, 11/22/24, https://urgentcomm.com/911/california-statewide-deployment-of-ng911-on-hold-
pending-project-assessment,(accessed 2/5/2025).
40 Candace Nguyen, Michael Bott, and Jeremy Carroll, “CA’s ‘disastrous’ Next Gen 911 rollout delaying life-saving
help, records show,” NBC Bay Area, November 13, 2024, updated January 14, 2025,
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/california-next-gen-911-rollout-delaying-life-saving-help/3707544/
(accessed 2/5/25).
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While with some work, the van might be able to take some 911 calls, it is not well equipped as a
dispatch alternative for law enforcement and fire.
In addition, the County Sheriff’s office can transfer dispatch calls to the San Rafael police
dispatch team, which is located within five miles and about nine minutes away from Los Gamos.
Marin Fire cannot. The city police teams still dispatching their own calls do not have the tools
and training to dispatch ambulance and fire calls, which require a different knowledge set and
equipment. Also, not all the city police who still dispatch their own calls are on the same system
as either the County Sheriff’s or Marin Fire’s dispatch. Novato, for example, would not be able
to take and dispatch County Sheriff or Marin Fire calls because Novato’s dispatch uses a
different software system.
An option for Marin Fire is to enter an agreement with a neighboring county, like Sonoma, to
back up each other. That discussion is now underway. Sonoma’s REDCOM Joint Powers
Authority has the capability to dispatch ambulance and fire calls operating from Santa Rosa, 36
miles away and about 34 minutes from the Los Gamos facility. The County can do the same for
Sonoma. These services might only be needed as a stopgap while dispatchers and command
move to a new location.
Other cities, faced by a need for backup options, use alternate centers, or locations away from the
main center that are wired and outfitted with a complete set of equipment and software needed to
take and dispatch calls.41 These remote centers are tested regularly to ensure equipment will
work in the event of an emergency.42 Dispatch stations can be housed in one or multiple remote
locations, like libraries, other county offices, etc.
Current County firehouses are not large enough to accommodate back-up dispatch facilities. The
project to build a new fire headquarters in San Geronimo could provide potential redundancy,
but the facility would be in a high fire area, require transport over hills, and would not provide
near-term help.
While there have been discussions about alternate sites for dispatch back-up, roadblocks abound.
Most of Marin is bordered by water. Getting in and out of the county depends upon bridges to
the east and south, some of which have been impassable in past disasters. The San Andreas fault
straddles the west, and the Rogers Creek fault, part of the San Andreas fault zone, runs through
Novato, a major path to the north. High-powered gas, water, and electric lines flow through
Novato to the rest of Marin. Interviewees say no critical infrastructure comes from the south.
41 Vance County, North Carolina, “Backup 911 Center,” https://www.vancecounty.org/backup-911-center/,
(accessed 3-28-25).
42 Blue Wing, “Dispatch Center Overview Public Safety Communications System Assessment and Design Report,”
Broome County, New York, June 28, 2012, https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/e911/pdfs/8
percent20Broome percent20County percent20dispatch percent20center percent20section3 percent20overview.pdf ,
(accessed 2/25/2025).
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Without the bridges, everything comes through Highways 101 and 37. Figures 2 and 3 give a
visual depiction of the constraints for alternate dispatch locations.
Figure 2: Marin County Routes of Travel
Figure 3: Marin County Hazards Maps: Fire threat (left) Earthquake Faults (right)
Source for Figure 2 and 3: Marin Fire Department Office of Emergency Management Marin County Hazard Map
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7818c52a0dd44fa7843f8631d8193b0f
Many Marin roads are narrow once you leave the highway corridor, and are not built for heavy
equipment that might be needed in an emergency. The Office of Emergency Services recently
purchased a box truck to carry heavy equipment across the county, but it had to be smaller than
desired to manage county roads. An alternate dispatch site might make more sense in Petaluma
or farther north, where larger trucks can deliver more items and heavier items into position for
transfer into Marin piecemeal. This would mean a building and land that can accommodate and
store big equipment, as well as redundant dispatch systems, all of which would be expensive.
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There’s another issue: how to get employees into the County to answer the hard-wired dispatch
telephones. According to the Marin County Human Resources department, nearly 61 percent of
County employees live outside Marin. Getting them into Marin during a catastrophic event will
not be easy. If that event is confined to Marin, getting them to a county north of Marin would be
easier.
The option that emergency experts point to as the most cost-efficient and most immediately
available is a mobile communications van. While a new van would be similar to what the County
Sheriff uses, something better equipped to take and dispatch calls is required. Marin Fire has
priced out a communications vehicle similar to that used by Cal Fire, which could house
dispatchers for both law enforcement and fire. The nearly $2 million cost is significantly less
than the cost of building an alternate site.
Figure 4: Mobile Communications Van
Source: Marin County Fire Department
Figure 5: Mobile Communications Van Interior Rendering
Source: Marin County Fire Department with permission from Frontline Communications, a division of Pierce Manufacturing
The modified RV would still require being hooked into a hard-wired telephone landline under
current conditions. Marin Fire is due to replace its phone system. The County Sheriff is nearly
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 16 of 19
due for a new phone system as well. These systems could be paid for using the 911 surcharge
Californians pay monthly for each telephone used. The individual 911 surcharge for 2025 is 41
cents a month. The County Sheriff receives funds every five years based on annual call volume.
Law enforcement is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in the County, so all 911
calls go through them first. Marin Fire also receives funds based on annual call volume as a
secondary PSAP, dispatching fire and ambulance calls. While the County Sheriff receives more
calls and thus, more funding, interviewees estimated Marin Fire’s share at nearly $300,000, close
to the cost of upgrading the phone system.
Interviewees say it would make sense if the two departments sharing Los Gamos aligned their
two separate phone systems. It would make it easier to back each other up, provide an economy
of scale, and allow for a chance to change the current hard-wired system to a hybrid that allows
for more mobility. That mobility is a laptop which uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
software, the laptop speaker, and the microphone to turn the laptop into what is referred to in the
industry as a “softphone.”43 Currently, Marin Fire is in discussions with vendors to select a new
system that would allow dispatch to go mobile if needed, accessing the best of both the hard-
wired and Internet Protocol (IP) worlds.
The information provided by the experts leads the Grand Jury to conclude that the mobile option
is the most cost-effective and quickest option to bring online.
CONCLUSION
Allowing first responders to focus on their core competencies is a benefit to both them and the
community. The County has made a good start by utilizing mental health experts through the
MCRT, utilizing SAFE teams for many social issues, and contracting for sobering beds in lieu of
ED beds. The Grand Jury believes these actions can be expanded.
The County has gaps in the availability of data that hinder planning for the future. The Grand
Jury believes there is an opportunity to close one gap with the first step of bidirectional data
sharing between EMS and the area hospitals.
All of our emergency services require good communication, and in the event of a disaster, our
first responders should have all the tools needed. Currently, they do not, and the Grand Jury
believes there is a relatively cost-effective solution.
43 Robyn Coppell, “Top Ten Emerging Technologies in
Contact Centers,” Item # 5, modified 11/24/2024, CallCenterHelper.com,
https://www.callcentrehelper.com/emerging-technologies-contact-centres-126387.htm, (accessed 3/31/2025).
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 17 of 19
FINDINGS
F1. Because the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team in San Rafael has proven
to be an effective alternative for responding to 911 calls related to mental health crises,
substance abuse, and homelessness, some police and fire resources have been freed to
respond to critical calls.
F2. Because San Rafael’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are
limited, some 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and
homelessness must be unnecessarily handled by police officers.
F3. Because Novato’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are limited,
some 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness must
be unnecessarily handled by police officers.
F4. Expanded hours of coverage for Novato’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE)
team would lighten the burden on Novato Fire’s Emergency Medical Services
responders.
F5. Because no Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams operate in Southern
Marin, West Marin, or unincorporated Marin County, police and ambulance resources
continue to respond to 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and
homelessness that could be better served by a different kind of response team.
F6. Because there are no permanent dedicated funding sources for the Specialized Assistance
For Everyone (SAFE) teams in Marin County, these programs face insecure futures no
matter how successful they are.
F7. Due to a lack of communication, miscommunication, and/or misunderstandings,
dedicated beds at the Helen Vine Recovery Center are underutilized by Marin County
law enforcement as an option for short-term sobering.
F8. Because a new statewide 911 system (NextGen911) has been significantly delayed,
Marin County lacks appropriate backup resources for the emergency dispatch center at
1600 Los Gamos Drive in the event of a disaster.
F9. Because of geography, cost, and time-to-use, an emergency communications van is an
effective and immediate option to fill the back-up dispatch gap in the event of a disaster
until a new statewide 911 system (NextGen911) is available.
F10. The establishment of the bidirectional exchange of clinical information between
Emergency Medical Services and area hospitals is crucial to the assessment of emergency
event treatment as well as planning for the best use of ambulance and public health
resources.
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 18 of 19
RECOMMENDATIONS
R1. By March 1, 2026, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should find a long-term
funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams throughout
the County.
R2. By March 1, 2026, the City Council of San Rafael should fund additional Specialized
Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team resources when requested by the San Rafael
Police Department following its evaluation of the current program.
R3. By December 1, 2025, the Novato Fire Protection District should contribute partial
funding to the City of Novato for support of the Specialized Assistance For Everyone
(SAFE) program.
R4. By December 1, 2025, the Marin County Chiefs of Police Association should advise their
respective police departments to utilize the Helen Vine Recovery Center as the preferred
drop-off option for intoxicated individuals and engage in an active introduction,
education, and relationship with Helen Vine Recovery Center.
R5. By December 1, 2025, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should request the Health
and Human Services Department to amend its metrics to include a method for police
departments to report when they have been turned away from delivering an intoxicated
person to the Helen Vine Recovery Center.
R6. By March 1, 2026, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should seek funding for a new
mobile communications van for the Marin County Fire Department, per department
specifications.
R7. By December 31, 2025, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should require that the
Department of Health and Human Services Emergency Medical Services make quarterly
reports to the Board on the progress of the bidirectional data exchange until the program
is fully implemented.
R8. By December 31, 2025, the Marin Healthcare District should make quarterly reports on
the progress of the bidirectional data exchange at their public meetings until the program
is fully implemented.
Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us
Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 19 of 19
REQUIRED RESPONSES
Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, the Grand Jury requires responses from the following
governing bodies:
From the following governing bodies within 90 days:
● The Marin County Board of Supervisors (F5-F6, F8-F10, R1, R5-R7).
● The City Council of San Rafael (F1-F2, F5-F6, R2)
● The Novato Fire Protection District (F3-F4, R3)
● The Marin Healthcare District (F10, R8)
The governing bodies indicated above should be aware that the comment or response of the
governing body must be conducted in accordance with Penal Code section 933 (c) and subject to
the notice, agenda and open meeting requirements of the Brown Act.
INVITED RESPONSES
● The Marin County Police Chiefs’ Association (F7, R4)
Note: At the time this report was prepared information was available at the websites listed.
Reports issued by the Civil Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code Section 929 requires that reports of
the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to
the Civil Grand Jury. The California State Legislature has stated that it intends the provisions of Penal Code Section 929
prohibiting disclosure of witness identities to encourage full candor in testimony in Grand Jury investigations by protecting the
privacy and confidentiality of those who participate in any Civil Grand Jury investigation.