City Council passed a resolution Thursday that will allow members of Williamson County’s Mobile Outreach Team (MOT) to use Round Rock fire stations between calls in the area.

MOT mental health specialists assist families and individuals in Williamson County who are experiencing a mental health crisis, and arrange mental health care with county agencies, law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, Bluebonnet Trails MHMR, area schools, and hospitals.

“This partnership supports our mission of building a Community Risk Reduction program, which takes a holistic approach to addressing environmental, physical health, and mental health needs in our community,” Round Rock Fire Chief Robert Isbell said. “By combining forces with the MOT mental health specialists in our area, we can work together to proactively improve the quality of life of our citizens through existing services and resources.”

As part of the partnership, Williamson County will provide three medical and mental health teams to respond to behavioral health emergencies within Round Rock Fire Department’s jurisdiction. The teams, which are comprised of paramedics and mental health specialists, will help develop and implement protocols for the Community Risk Reduction program in Round Rock, as well as provide a minimum of 40 hours per year of mental health and substance use training to RRFD’s paramedics.