60 take part in crisis intervention class

All week long about 60 first responders have been training to better identify mental illness and handle situations involving the issue. They were tested Friday on their knowledge at Eastern Idaho Techical College as part of a week-long crisis intervention team class.

“If you have somebody who suffers from a mental illness and they have gotten off of their medication for any reason, when they destabilize, it’s law enforcement or EMS or some first responder branch…understanding that sometimes people’s behavior relates back to an illness and being able to openly recognize that and deescalate the situation,” said Capt. Sam Hulse with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

The class was organized by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with about 20 other agencies.