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WINTERSVILLE -- The Wintersville Volunteer Fire Department is one of 20 first responder agencies receiving funds to support wellness and staffing needs.
Gov. Mike DeWine awarded a total of $4 million to the squads, the seventh round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program. To date, DeWine has awarded nearly $65 million to 250 Ohio agencies as part of this program, which aims to address burnout caused by understaffing and overall job stress.
"(Our) department got $278,000 to hire two people for two years," Wintersville Fire Chief Rob Herrington said. "This will help supplement our staff of paramedic firefighters."
In all, DeWine said around $95 million will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, dispatch centers, fire departments and emergency medical services agencies as part of the program.
"We are proud to offer this support to our local first responders because keeping them healthy is key to keeping our communities safe," he said in a release issued Thursday.
The Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program is administered by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. The program awards funding for initiatives that support wellness programs addressing mental, physical, and emotional health issues unique to first responders; recruitment and retention efforts to restore workforce levels; onboarding and training costs; and explorer programs to engage young adults about first responder careers. The funding awarded to date includes approximately $1.3 million for several statewide service providers.
The program is funded as part of the $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding that DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly dedicated to first responders to help counter various pressing issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased stress and decreased staffing levels.
DeWine said he's also placed "enhanced focus" on the wellness of first responders through the creation of the Ohio Office of First Responder Wellness within the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The new statewide office focuses exclusively on the well-being of first responders and provides specialized support and training to help emergency-response agencies proactively address post-traumatic stress and other traumas caused by factors that are unique to first-responder careers.
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