Sinema received tour of college’s Paramedicine Lab prior to roundtable to see the community and first responder training her law supports
PHOENIX – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema hosted a roundtable with education leaders at Phoenix College to discuss the investments her Bipartisan Safer Communities law – legislation Sinema negotiated, wrote, and ushered into law – makes to reduce community and school violence in Arizona and across the country.
Prior to the roundtable, the Senator toured Phoenix College’s Paramedicine Lab to see firsthand the in-depth training students studying to be paramedics receive and how her law bolsters these efforts to save lives.
“We kept first responders in mind while negotiating our Bipartisan Safer Communities law, so I’m glad to see firsthand how it boosts training resources for paramedics and first responders, expands mental health access for students and families, and, ultimately, saves lives,” said Sinema.
Sinema’s Bipartisan Safer Communities law appropriates $120 million over four years to prepare and train community members and first responders on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders. Phoenix College is currently working to increase the pipeline of paramedics and first responders in Arizona to meet both immediate and future workforce demands.
During the meeting, Sinema and roundtable participants discussed the ongoing nationwide shortage of Emergency Medicine Technicians (EMTs) and first responders, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. The Senator emphasized the need to find solutions to help schools like Phoenix College meet the challenges of recruiting and retaining dedicated first responders to serve Arizona communities.
In addition to training and strengthening the first responder workforce, Sinema’s law also includes funding for school-based mental health and supportive services, investments in children and family mental health services, support for state crisis intervention orders, funding for school safety resources, protections for victims of domestic violence, and more.