Arizona is in desperate need of a “Battle Buddy” program for our American Hero's, our local Veterans. 
On February 26, 2018 our family suffered an unthinkable tragedy. After being negligently released early from the Phoenix VA hospital 60 hours into a 72 hour suicide/mental health hold, our Hero suffered a tragic breakdown. Joshua Kinnard was reliving moments from the war that he could not overcome. The demons of his deployment days in Iraq were haunting him and causing extreme PTSD episodes. On that tragic night we were forced to call for EMS/police assistance as we found him overdosed before he jumped in our swimming pool attempting to end his life. As police arrived, he became increasingly irritated. Josh was upset that EMS and the police were inside our home. He was becoming more and more irrational and upset as time went on. 
A Battle Buddy would have given him the opportunity to connect with a comrade who could relate to his days of service. A Battle Buddy has first hand experience to be able to relate better than EMS or police. The opportunity to de-escalate the situation is greater with assistance from a Veteran, rather than running the risk of escalation from the police presence which could cause unneeded stress, resulting in a lethal altercation. 
When 911 dispatch is Intaking pertinent information for the services being dispatched, asking whether the subject is a Veteran and whether they are suffering from a mental breakdown would be key in dispatching a qualified Battle Buddy to the scene to help the Veteran during their time of need. 
Battle Buddy programs are successfully used in other areas of the country! Arizona has many veterans who live here who would greatly benefit from a program like this. Potentially saving lots of Veterans lives and keeping our local Police and EMS safer on Critical Incident calls. 

Please support Arizona’s need for this very important program and sign our petition. We appreciate the support to create a vital program aimed at saving lives and taking care of our Veterans!