Goodhue County Agencies Report Early Success of Collaborative Medical Dispatch Initiative

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), Cannon Falls Fire Department, Cannon Falls Ambulance, and Cannon Falls Police Department are reporting positive results following the implementation of a collaborative medical dispatch initiative designed to better align emergency resources with patient needs throughout the Cannon Falls response area.

Implemented on March 17, 2026, the updated procedures help ensure patients receive the appropriate emergency response while reducing unnecessary fire department activations on lower-acuity medical calls.

Early data demonstrates meaningful improvements in operational efficiency while maintaining the highest standard of patient care.

• Medical fire responses decreased by 62%.
• Overall fire department call volume dropped by 30%.
• The Fire Dept. had previously been trending toward a 10% increase in annual call volume.
• Approximately 138 fire department responses were avoided.
• No negative impact to patient care has been identified.

"This initiative allows us to better utilize our volunteer firefighters while ensuring they are available when their specialized skills and equipment are truly needed," said Cannon Falls Fire Chief Brice Miller. "The feedback from our members has been overwhelmingly positive, and we've had excellent cooperation from Cannon Falls Ambulance, Cannon Falls Police Department, and the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office."

The initiative was developed jointly by Cannon Falls Fire, Cannon Falls Ambulance, and the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Division, with Public Safety Telecommunicators receiving additional guidance and training on the updated dispatch procedures.

"One of the biggest successes of this project is that it required no new equipment or software," said Chad Steffen, Emergency Services Captain. "We simply made better use of the dispatch tools already available to our Public Safety Telecommunicators, along with locally developed response guidance created in partnership with our Cannon Falls fire and EMS partners. That's good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Looking ahead, we're excited about the potential for artificial intelligence to provide real-time decision support, helping our telecommunicators deliver even greater consistency while keeping the human at the center of every emergency call."

Residents should continue calling 911 anytime they experience an emergency. Life-threatening incidents, including cardiac arrests, serious trauma, fires, rescues, hazardous situations, and other critical events, continue to receive a full emergency response. The updated procedures simply help ensure emergency resources are deployed where they provide the greatest benefit.

The agencies will continue evaluating the initiative, but the early results are encouraging. Several neighboring departments have already expressed interest in learning more as they explore similar approaches to improving responder sustainability while maintaining exceptional patient care.

The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with our communities, strives to improve and maintain the quality of life we enjoy and ensure that our county is a safe place. Guided by our values of Integrity, Respect, Empathy, and Compassion, we serve the citizens of Goodhue County with dedication and professionalism.

The Cannon Falls Fire Department is a volunteer organization serving the City of Cannon Falls and surrounding communities with fire suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response, and emergency medical support. Through training, teamwork, and regional partnerships, the department is committed to protecting lives and property while providing high-quality emergency services.