Team from Madison CARES responds to 10,000th request for assistance

Team from Madison CARES responds to 10,000th request for assistance

Madison and Sun Prairie's CARES Team Expands to Respond to Mental Health Emergencies

The Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) team, a program designed to handle non-violent behavioral health emergencies, has expanded its services to the city of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Launched in September 2021, the CARES team consists of one Madison Fire Department Community Paramedic and one Journey Mental Health Crisis Worker per team.

The team, which operates in the City of Madison, has seen significant success, marking its 10,000th call for service on July 22, 2025. This milestone indicates strong community acceptance and effectiveness in managing behavioral health crises without the involvement of police or traditional EMS resources.

Since its inception, the CARES team has expanded its service hours and number of teams, increasing its capacity to respond to calls exponentially. The program originally operated primarily on weekdays but expanded to include weekend service in July 2025. Currently, the team operates three units on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and one unit on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In Sun Prairie, the CARES team has been operational since February 2025 as part of a one-year pilot program. So far, the team has responded to 38 calls in the city.

The popularity of the CARES team has been increasing, leading to more requests for service. MFD assistant chief of medical operations, Chris Hammes, acknowledged this trend, stating, "The awareness of the CARES team among city entities and the general public is contributing to an increase in calls for service."

The CARES team is trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation tactics, suicide prevention, and more, enabling them to connect with people and provide mental health resources effectively. The team diverts individuals from emergency rooms and jails by connecting them with appropriate mental health resources and follows up with patients after calls to ensure continuity of care.

The CARES team's expansion to Sun Prairie is a testament to its success in Madison and its potential to make a positive impact on the mental health landscape in other communities. As the program continues to grow and evolve, it is poised to become a valuable resource for cities across the region.

[1] CARES Team website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/fire/ems/cares [2] Madison Fire Department press release: https://www.cityofmadison.com/fire/ems/news/article/239725 [3] Sun Prairie Star article: https://www.sunprairiestar.com/news/local_news/sun-prairie-cares-team-responds-to-38-calls-since-february/article_d34f142c-53c4-5f3a-9165-e4f95b5b8a3e.html [4] Wisconsin State Journal article: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/government-and-politics/cares-team-responds-to-its-10000th-call-for-service/article_225b1f4a-833b-5f4d-906f-7b7b843d4f3e.html

The expansion of the CARES Team to Sun Prairie signifies its potential to improve health-and-wellness, including mental health, in other communities, as it did in Madison. The specialized training of CARES Team members enables them to effectively provide resources for science-based mental health interventions.

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