What are welfare checks, and are firefighters the right first responders for them?

Cody Copeland
·2 min read
2

Tarrant County residents are looking for answers after an Arlington firefighter was shot in the chest during a welfare check early Friday morning.

The Arlington Police Department told the Star-Telegram that firefighter Brady Weaver was shot from inside the apartment that was the subject of the welfare check while he and other firefighters were attempting to breach the door. Police officers said they could hear children inside attempting to wake their mother up, but no one answered the door.

People social media called for prayers for Weaver, who was last reported as being in serious but stable condition in Medical City Arlington, and asked why someone would shoot a firefighter, among other questions.

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What is a welfare check and who should execute one?

Also known as a wellness check, a welfare check is a visit by a first responder, usually a police officer, to a person’s residence to see if they are OK, according to The Law Dictionary. A welfare check may be prompted by a call from a concerned neighbor, friend or family member.

Firefighters are sent on about half of all welfare check calls, according to David Schieck of the Fort Worth Firefighters Association.

“We kind of get all the catch-all stuff,” he said in a phone interview.

Such checks include calls about people who haven’t been seen for a while, concerns about elderly people and other general, non-emergency concerns people may have, Schieck said.

The decision of whether to send a welfare check call to the police or the fire department is made by the 911 dispatch. The fire department is usually called to check on medical concerns, as all firefighters have emergency medical training.

Welfare checks generally are not dangerous for first responders, Schieck said.

“A lot of time, it’s somebody who had the flu, you know, and we just go knock on the the door and they’re like, Oh, I’m fine, but I just haven’t talked to the person who is concerned about me,” he said.

If a person is reported as being a danger to themselves or others, that call is usually routed to police before the fire department, Schieck said.