The Crown Point Fire Department is expanding its services.
In the first quarter of 2025, the department expects to launch a pilot mobile integrated health (MIH) program, Crown Point Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner Jr. announced at the Sept. 16 Mondays with the Mayor.
In late August, the department received a $75,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to help support the program. The funds can be used for MIH program equipment, software, a vehicle or medical devices.
In June, Crown Point Fire applied to become an MIH provider and received approval from the State of Indiana in July. Since, the department has been working on developing its MIH protocols, policies and training.
“This is a great achievement for our department and a testament to our commitment to provide innovative and high-quality health care services to our community,” Baumgardner said.
The next step, Baumgardner said, is to acquire the necessary equipment and begin training.
Once live, the MIH program will offer a variety of services, including hospital dismissal/post discharge follow-up and readmission prevention; post-response follow-up for certain emergencies; diabetic counseling and monitoring; chronic disease management; decreased utilization of EMS by high frequency patients; substance abuse mitigation; OB/newborn management programs; elderly management programs; and the integration of existing CPFD community risk reduction efforts into MIH.
“When people look to move to a new community, public safety is always a top priority. We have a great fire department, and this new program enhances the services we can offer to our community,” Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said. “Congratulations to Chief Baumgardner and his team for securing this funding to help keep Crown Point safe.”
