What is the Tulsa Fire Dept. Pop-Up Clinic and how is it helping unhoused people?

The Tulsa Fire Department Pop-Up Clinic teamed up with over 20 organizations to provide unhoused residents with access to essential social and medical services—all in one place. After a pause during the pandemic, the clinic has returned with plans to expand across Tulsa, offering resources like housing assistance, case management, and healthcare services. 

To get a better understanding of the Pop-up Clinic, News On 6 spoke with the Chief of EMS and event organizer, Justin Lemery, about the origins and goals of the event.

Q: What is the TFD Pop-Up Clinic?

A: This is a pop-up resource clinic for unhoused individuals within Tulsa. Our goal really was to provide a comprehensive event where individuals who are unhoused can receive and make connections with social and medical services.

Q: How did this event start?

A: We’d done pop-up resource clinics in the past, but since COVID happened in 2020, we kind of went away for a little bit. When Mayor Nichols and Commissioner Roberts got together, they had a vision, and they asked if we could make the event happen again.

Q: Will there be more pop-up clinics?

A: This is the first of more to come. We wanted to do this first one downtown, but we have future plans of doing this in other parts of Tulsa as well.

Q: What are some of the services offered that people seem to gravitate towards?

A: We wanted to fill in as many gaps as possible. You should be able to get all of your needs met here. Whether it’s housing, getting on housing lists, help with case management, substance use disorders, legal services, etc. We’ve had quite a few people bringing their animals here to get vaccines. 

We have testing for individuals and vaccines for those in need. We really want to make sure that people are getting connected with all of these services.

Q: How does this process work?

A: When someone comes here, we have a checklist asking what resources they need. We get people checked into HMAS and make sure they’re in the system and getting the help they need. Then they go to case management and they can help you with specific needs.

Q: How are you keeping up with the people who visit?

A: That’s what the resource clinic is setting up when you check-in. Once they’re checked in, they get entered into the system. It asks for basic information like where you normally stay and contact information because we’re going to come back and check on you and make sure that you’re getting the help that you need.

Q: What is the most important thing about this event to you?

A: I would say the most important part about this clinic is connecting with some of our most vulnerable populations within the city of Tulsa, and making sure they know that they’re supported and that we’re here to help them in any way. For us, it’s not about one moment in time. It's about staying with those individuals and building relationships. 

We know these things can’t be fixed in one day, but we’re committed. The city of Tulsa is committed to staying with these individuals to make sure they get the help needed. This is one clinic, but we’ve got more planned.

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