LAS VEGAS – Nevada lawmakers are considering the creation of a new task force focused on the mental health and wellness of police officers and firefighters, KTNV reported.
The proposed Blue Ribbon Task Force on Peace Officer Wellness would operate over two years to review state policy and develop wellness recommendations for agencies statewide, according to the report.
The initiative, introduced in Assembly Bill 433, follows testimony highlighting the mental and emotional toll first responders face, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. The bill will be amended to include firefighters alongside law enforcement officers, according to the report.
The proposal has gained support from key stakeholders, including the cities of Henderson, Reno and Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the Nevada Police Union and the Professional Firefighters of Nevada.
“Behind the uniform, behind the badge, are human beings, people who carry the weight of every tragedy they respond to,” said Ryan Beaman, a longtime Clark County firefighter and lobbyist for the Professional Firefighters organization. “People who wake up every day not knowing the danger they face, who often carry the emotional scars long after the sirens stop.”
The task force would build on efforts already underway at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where a newly established Wellness Bureau has prioritized mental health under Sheriff Kevin McMahill’s leadership. According to Dr. James Tenney, who leads the bureau, officers experience significantly higher rates of PTSD, depression and suicide compared to the general population.
Notably, 2024 marked the first year in recent memory that LVMPD did not lose an officer to suicide — a success attributed to the department’s expanded wellness initiatives, according to the report.
Retired Lt. Randy Sutton, now head of the national nonprofit The Wounded Blue, welcomed the idea of the task force.
“Believe me, you see, as a cop, you see every negative aspect of the human experience,” said Sutton. “You deal with heartbreak, you deal with crime, you deal with the worst that humanity has to offer. And it can affect your soul.”
