(WKBN) — Thousands of first responders across Ohio are going to receive money from the state, and many of the recipients are in the First News coverage area.
More than 10,000 law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS personnel from 309 agencies will receive a total of approximately $35 million in retention incentives as part of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program, which was created to address first responder burnout caused by understaffing and overall job stress.
The following are recipients in the First News coverage area:
Columbiana County
- East Liverpool Fire Dept. – $52,000
- Leetonia Police Dept. – $20,840.89
- Lisbon Police Dept. - $36,554.79
- Sandy Creek Joint Fire District (includes Stark and Carroll counties) – $44,060.76
Mahoning County
- Austintown Fire Dept. – $110,984.40
- Cardinal Joint Fire District – $93,427.20
- Goshen Township Police Dept. – $23,086.40
- Smith Township Police Dept. – $14,173.12
Trumbull County
- Bazetta Township Fire Dept. – $43,366.30
- Bristol Fire Department – $28,464.33
- Champion Township Fire Dept. – $23,489.66
- Cortland Police and Fire Depts. – $91,400.58
- Johnston Township Fire Dept. - $24,366.94
- Lordstown Fire Dept. – $47,197.79
- Newton Falls Joint Fire District – $49,556.19
- Vienna Township Police Dept. – $22,813.60
- Warren Police Dept. – $215,544.32
The complete list of recipients can be found here.
In total, approximately $100 million has been awarded to emergency response agencies through the program since its launch in 2022.
The program is funded as part of the $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that Gov. Mike 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.
