Longview's GLOW program seeks funding from the city

CBS 19
Author: Dan Mallea
Published: 11:40 PM CDT October 10, 2023

LONGVIEW, Texas — A non-emergency program is seeking funding from an East Texas city after it sees successful results.

Over the last few years, Longview officials noticed many residents called 911 for non-emergency reasons. 

In 2021, Longview EMS Chief Amy Hooten and Longview Director of Grant and Human Services Laura Hill decided to do something about it. They created GLOW, a program that allows citizens to call for help for non-medical reasons. 

"Such as food, transportation, housing, and security...(GLOW) tries to connect them with other resources in our community," Hooten.

Hooten says the program has proven to be a success.

A recent GLOW report revealed before Longview adopted the program, about 20% of EMS trips were categorized as “non-transport trips," which means EMS didn’t have to take anyone to the hospital. However, since adopting the program, that number has dropped to 5%. 

GLOW has made an impact for people who are dealing with food insecurity, homelessness, and the senior community.

"We had one lady that didn’t know where to go or who to turn to built a ramp so she could go to dialysis on regular basis. And she couldn’t get in and out of her house. We helped with that," Hill said. 

Now it's up to city leaders to keep the funding flowing. Longview City Council will vote on Thursday to transition financial responsibilities for GLOW to the city. Hill and Hooten said they’re grateful to give back to the city they grew up in.

"We’re glad we were able to serve the city and our citizens this way. And you know, I think I can speak for all eight of our partners that we’re beginning to see a difference," Hill said.