The City of Fairbanks is reviving its Emergency Services Patrol program, which has been defunct for about a year.
That’s after the Fairbanks City Council voted 4-1 on a resolution Monday to award a contract for the program to the apparent lowest bidder, a new nonprofit called Fairbanks Integrated Community Services.
The nonprofit incorporated in October of last year, according to state commerce department filings. The articles of incorporation say the organization supports Alaskans dealing with impacts from substance use and other issues through “the facilitation of low-barrier care and knowledgeable support.”
Fairbanks Integrated Community Services Director Anthony Mosinski previously worked on the Fairbanks Mobile Crisis Team, and he said his organization’s approach to the patrol program will be oriented toward community support.
“We intend to use verbal deescalation with motivational interviewing following the assertive community treatment model, which is an evidence-based treatment model for serious mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness,” he said Monday.
State law requires local public safety agencies to take incapacitated people in a public place into protective custody, and the patrol program aims to relieve pressure on the city police and fire departments by responding to calls where people under the influence of alcohol or other drugs need transport to a safe environment. Examples include taking someone to their home, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, or The Door Youth Shelter, according to a request for proposals the city released in February.
The proposals request also says the contractor must attempt to engage with people after they’ve been discharged to help connect them with community resources. The service is supposed to run eight to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, and the Scope of Work estimates the provider will receive between 320 and 490 calls a month.
The council gave the program broad support Monday, with Councilmember John Ringstad telling Mosinski he’s “hopeful” about what the patrol can accomplish.
“I would ask that as you go into this, don’t be afraid to let us know how you think it’s working and if there are things that should be done differently,” he said.
The Downtown Association of Fairbanks had been overseeing the Emergency Services Patrol program until 2016, when the city took control. But the program fizzled in March of 2024 after month-to-month agreements with the previous contractor, Securitas, came to an end, Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center Director Kristi Meredith told KUAC Tuesday.
The new contract is set to be worth $325,000 for one year of service. A little more than two-thirds, or $225,000, of that total comes from the city’s general fund. The downtown association and the Fairbanks North Star Borough combine to cover the other $100,000 via grants to the city.
Councilmember Lonny Marney was the lone no vote on Monday’s resolution to award the contract.