Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The “co-responder model” that’s designed to help respond to emergencies that might impact mental health is now moving to the Springfield Fire Department.

The City Council this week approved spending $160,000 more on the “Beacon” program so that a mental health professional can respond on fire department calls, as well as police calls.

It’s a passion project of sorts for Mayor Misty Buscher.

“This is an apparatus that will be…deployed when there is a 911 call for someone in a mental health situation, or a drug overdose situation, where they need specialists to come in,” said Buscher. “We’ll have paramedic health care, and we’ll have behavioral health care.”

A full time Memorial Behavioral Health employee will be dispatched to respond with Springfield Fire on such calls, using what’s called a “BOLT” apparatus — or, Beacon Outreach Life-Saving Treatment.

“We think this is a better use of the funds, and we’ll get good care to the people that we’re trying to serve,” said Nick Zummo, Fire Chief.