Portland Street Response (PSR) is a part of Portland’s 911 response system that assists people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises.

This measure is primarily about whether the number of available PSR units is able to keep up with demand on its services. Timely response is important regardless, but it is especially important because arriving quickly is a key factor to locating the subject of the call successfully.

This shows whether we are deploying an adequate number of PSR units.

The Bureau of Emergency Communications 911 operators record various statistics about the timing of 911 call events, of which this is one.

Currently, Portland Street Response will be dispatched when a caller reports:

• A person who is possibly experiencing a mental health crisis; intoxicated and/or drug affected. This person is outside of a publicly accessible space such as a business, store, public lobby, etc.
• A person who is outside and down, not checked.
• A person who is outside and yelling.
• A person who needs a referral for services, but does not have access to a phone line.

The call meets the previous criteria - AND

•  There are no weapons seen.
•  The person is not in traffic/not obstructing traffic.
•  The person is not violent towards others (physically combative, threatening violence, assaulting).
•  The person is not suicidal.
• The person is not inside of a private residence.

More information on Portland Street Response can be found at the PSR website , and additional data can be found at the PSR Dashboard.

You can call 911 to request Portland Street Response. Our 911 dispatchers will have a list of questions they will ask to determine which responder is most appropriate to send: Police, Fire, Portland Street Response, or AMR ambulance service. If the call fits the criteria for Portland Street Response, dispatchers will alert the team and send them to the call.