A procession of police and community members accompanied Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser from the Utah Medical Examiner's Office in Taylorsville, Utah, back to Santaquin on Monday, May 6, 2024. is an updated bill to support first responder mental health. Its reassessment comes just in time for May, which is mental health awareness month.
First responders under the bill include dispatchers, EMS crews, search and rescue and police. It provides resources and establishes standard requirements for first responder departments. Rep. Ryan Wilcox sponsored the bill and said he hopes it will help not only during this time of grief, but at all times.Utah officers honor fallen colleague Sgt. Bill Hooser by guarding remains before burial“What I’m really hoping is that those who are needing to have those conversations are having them,” Wilcox said. “I’m hoping we’ve changed the culture enough that the expectation is that you have those conversations.
“We're going to see one of those follow-up bills each year,” he said. “As we learn and as we see what they need so we know they are taken care of.”