First Responders

Cities know that the way police respond to mental crisis calls must change. But how?

Cities are experimenting with new ways to meet the rapidly increasing demand for behavioral health crisis intervention, at a time when incidents of police shooting and killing people in mental health crisis have become painfully familiar.

By Nicole Leonard and Kate Wolffe, KFF Health News
February 13, 2024

Gunfire, screams, carnage: As mass shootings proliferate, training gets more realistic

Law enforcement and medical workers experience the sights, smells and sounds of gun violence to prepare for tragedy.

By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline
February 5, 2024

10 lessons learned from the Justice Department's review of the Uvalde school shooting

COMMENTARY | The critical review of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting offers key takeaways to help policymakers, practitioners and schools avoid the same failures if faced with a similar situation.

By Jaclyn Schildkraut, Rockefeller Institute of Government
January 24, 2024

Gear without PFAS coatings could put firefighters at risk

PFAS, or forever chemicals, can harm the environment and people's health. But when used in firefighter gear, PFAS can help protect responders against flammable hazards.

By Matt Shipman, Futurity
December 11, 2023

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