COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine announced that an additional $20 million in funding will be dedicated to supporting the wellness needs and recruitment of first responders.
The $20 million will bring the total amount of funding for the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention and Resillance program to $95 million.
DeWine created the program in May 2022 to support the wellness needs of law enforcement officers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), according to a release.
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“When it comes to public safety, we don’t want our police officers, firefighters, and medics to be overworked and exhausted when they’re responding to emergencies,” DeWine said. “Through this program, we’re not only helping local first responders get support for their mental wellbeing, but we’re also helping to ease the workload on current staff by funding new hires.”
A total of $61 million has been awarded to over 200 first responder agencies to date.
More information about the program can be found here.
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