State funding secured for first responder wellness programs

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus and Commissioner of Emergency Services Peter Cirigliano announced this week that Orange County Emergency Services has been awarded major grant funding through the New York State Office of Mental Health’s CARES UP Program to expand wellness, resiliency, suicide prevention, and peer support initiatives for first responders across the County.

The CARES UP (Changing the Approach to Resiliency, Education, and Suicide Prevention for Uniformed Personnel) Program provides $30,000 annually to support suicide prevention and wellness programming. Orange County will receive $60,000 each over two years for its Police Services, 911 Emergency Communications and Fire Services Divisions.

The grant also provides training funds to bring nationally recognized mental health and resiliency experts to Orange County. Over two years, this represents a total investment of $433,450 which includes $32,500 annually for police services training, $11,474 for emergency communications, and $82,750 for fire services annual training.

This funding will directly benefit sworn police officers, dispatchers, and firefighters across Orange County, providing education, peer support, and wellness resources tailored to the unique challenges faced by first responders.

“We are thrilled to bring this vital funding to Orange County,” Neuhaus said. “It will help provide our first responders with the wellness and resiliency support they truly deserve through our newly formed Countywide First Responder Peer Support Team. I am grateful to our Police Services Division and the County’s Emergency Services Team for their outstanding work in securing this critical grant for the men and women who serve our community every day.”

Added Commissioner of Emergency Services Peter Cirigliano, “This funding is a vital investment in the wellness of our first responders and perfectly complements the recent creation of our Peer Support Coordinator position,” added. “It ensures our police, fire, and emergency communications teams have the support they need to stay strong, both on and off duty. I am grateful to Deputy Commissioner Rob Doss for securing these funds for our county’s first responders.”

By prioritizing mental health, resiliency, and wellness, Orange County is making a long-term investment in the safety and strength of the men and women who protect Orange County residents and visitors every day a press release stated.

“I am proud to work in a county where the mental and physical well-being of those who ensure our safety is prioritized,” said Lacey Trimble, Commissioner of the Orange County Departments of Social Services and Mental Health. “Our first responders and dispatchers in Orange County go above and beyond every day for our residents, and the Cares Up funding awarded by the New York State Office of Mental Health will allow the First Responder Peer Support Program to continue strengthening the way we support them countywide.”