The state awarded three grants worth $239,000 to support training of local first responders. Governor Kay Ivey announced. The new training will focus on treating overdoses, avoiding dangerous driving situations and responding to mass shootings.

“When the unthinkable happens, we rely on first responders to provide life-saving assistance,” Ivey said. “Our first responders are asked to do many things to serve and protect our communities, and this training will help them more safely respond to emergency calls.”

ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell also said the new funding is important for first responders.

“First responders should be provided with the training and equipment they need to deal with life-threatening situations,” he said. “ADECA is pleased to join Governor Ivey in supporting this training for law enforcement officers and other emergency responders.”

Grants were awarded to:

• cottonwood town will receive $64,000 to launch a training program for first responders in treating opioid overdoses in the seven-county Wiregrass region. Everyone who completes the training will also receive a free naloxone antidote kit. Naloxone, commercially known as Narcan, is a life-saving drug that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose. The Cottonwood Police Department is partnering with the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and Southeast Alabama Emergency Medical Services for this project. This training is available to first responders in Barbour, Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties.
• dothan police foundation will receive $145,000 to train emergency vehicle drivers how to safely handle adverse road conditions. The Grip Not Slip program provides realistic, hands-on training using both a driving training vehicle and a traffic scenario simulator. The training will be held at the Driving Skills Pad at the Wiregrass Public Safety Center and will be available to first responders in Barbour, Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties.
• montgomery county commission You will receive $30,000 to acquire equipment for target practice. This equipment and training will be available to school resource officers and local, state and regional law enforcement officers across the state.

Austin Shipley is a staff writer at Yellowhammer News.