Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced $3.2 million in grants to assist rural first responders in combatting opioid abuse, according to an Aug. 23 statement from the governor's office.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration First Responder Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act grants are open for application by rural first responder agencies and members from other key community sectors at the state, tribal, and local levels, according to the statement.
"The opioid crisis impacts families across Kansas, which is why it’s crucial that our first responders have the support and training they need to save lives and bring relief to our communities," Ms. Kelly said in the statement.
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services is administering the grants and has selected four rural regions encompassing 53 counties.
- Region I: Northwest: Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Rooks, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Ness, and Rush counties.
- Region II: Southwest: Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Hamilton, Kearney, Finney, Hodgeman, Gray, Ford, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Meade, Clark, Morton, Stevens, and Seward counties.
- Region IV: North Central: Smith, Jewell, Republic, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Ottawa, Lincoln, Dickinson, Saline, and Ellsworth counties.
- Region VI: Southeast: Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Bourbon, Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Crawford, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette, and Cherokee counties.