About the CARE Department

The Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department is Seattle’s third branch of public safety, established in October 2023 by Mayor Bruce Harrell, alongside the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Fire Department.

The Seattle CARE Department operates the 9-1-1 Communications Center and the Community Crisis Responder (CCR) Team. The 9-1-1 Communications Center initially screens all incoming 9-1-1 calls within the City of Seattle and oversees public safety radio dispatching of Seattle Police Department (SPD) personnel and CARE CCRs. The 9-1-1 Communications Center is also responsible for answering the City of Seattle non-emergency line at (206) 625-5011.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) Fire Alarm Center (FAC) operates as a secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to the 9-1-1 Communications Center, from which FAC receives transfers of 9-1-1 calls, to handle all requests for fire response and emergency medical services (EMS) in Seattle. The FAC also serves as a backup location for the 9-1-1 Communications Center. 

When a person calls 9-1-1 for help, the City of Seattle aims to send resources immediately and intervene effectively, to meet the needs identified and achieve an optimal outcome for all parties involved.

Our Mission 

The mission of CARE is to improve public safety, by unifying and aligning the City's community-focused public safety investments and services, to resolve low-risk calls for behavioral health matters though diversified responses that are evidence-based, effective, innovative and compassionate.

Our Priorities 

1. Emergencies:  The top priority of CARE is to answer and screen emergency requests for service, connect callers to the appropriate team of first responders, and effectively dispatch resources to address the emergency. 
2. Notifications: CARE operates paging and communications systems which notify Seattle Police Department and CARE employees of mission-specific information on a 24/7/365 basis, and also notify the public of specific emergencies and conditions.   
3. Non-Emergencies: CARE answers the City of Seattle non-emergency line at (206) 625-5011and routes the calls for dispatch if appropriate.  
4. Reports:  CARE takes police reports (when appropriate) via telephone and assists with referral to the Seattle Police Department online crime reporting system.