COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine has awarded 20 first-responder agencies nearly $4 million to support wellness and staffing in the seventh round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention and Resilience Program.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Mike DeWine has awarded 20 first-responder agencies nearly $4 million to support wellness and staffing

  • The distribution is from the seventh round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention and Resilience Program

  • The program is administered by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and funded by $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding

  • The money is for programs that address mental, physical and emotional health issues that are unique to first responders

So far, the program, which is designed to address job stress, burnout and understaffing, has awarded nearly $65 million to 250 Ohio agencies, the state said in a release.

The program is administered by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and funded through $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding the state earmarked in 2021 for law enforcement and first responders.

Under the program, about $95 million will be awarded to law enforcement and emergency medical services agencies, fire departments and dispatch centers, the state said.

Another $1.3 million will fund statewide programs specifically focused on the needs of first responders.

“We are proud to offer this support to our local first responders, because keeping them healthy is key to keeping our communities safe,” DeWine said.

The state issues the funding for an array of programs that address mental, physical and emotional health issues, the state said.

The money also goes toward recruitment, retention, onboarding and training for new hires. It also can be used for explorer programs to expose young people to first-responder careers.

Highlights of the most recent round of funding:

  • Cleveland awarded $1.3 million to hire a recruiting consultant, advertise for new recruits, and offer sign-on bonuses for 359 new first responders
  • Columbus Dept. of Public Safety awarded $1 million for a recruiting marketing program to attract first responders
  • Cincinnati Fire Dept. awarded $350,309.26 to hire a full-time wellness coordinator for two years and $801,502.72 for recruiting and sign-on bonuses for 100 new hires
  • Dayton Fire Dept. awarded $5.8 million to hire 30 full-time firefighters and a full-time wellness coordinator, and wellness and recruiting services 
  • Portage County Sheriff’s Office awarded $1.7 to hire eight full-time deputies for two years
  • Sandusky County EMS awarded $1.2 million to hire four full-time paramedics and three full-time EMTs for two years
  • Akron Fire Dept. awarded $5.4 million to hire 25 full-time firefighters/paramedics for two years, and $42,000 for peer-support training 

To place greater focus on first-responder wellness, DeWine also created the Office of First Responder Wellness under the Dept. of Public Safety, the state said.

The office provides specialized support and training to help emergency agencies proactively address post-traumatic stress and other traumas that are unique to first responders.

To view the complete list of agencies receiving finding in the seventh round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention and Resilience Program, visit the state’s website.

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