ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — The City of Arvin was awarded a grant to help with Fentanyl awareness and educate the community on the dangers of the drug.
A portion of the funds will go toward the Arvin Veterans Hall communications equipment and installation project. The city said this investment will serve as a hub for community outreach and fentanyl-awareness education.
"We received a $700,000 Fentanyl grant along with other cities in the county. Go out there and really face this challenge head on," Mayor Olivia Calderon said.
Robert Nevarez, a consultant for the Arvin Police Department, said the upgrades will help address the issue.
"This is going to allow us to educate people because this is a problem you can't arrest your way out of. It's a problem you have to educate your way out of, and that's what this is going to provide," Nevarez said.
Calderon said the Veterans Hall is more than 50 years old and in need of upgrades. Once renovations are complete, the hall will have the capacity to accommodate more than 400 people.
"The audio, the AV, the high speed Wi Fi, the projector, so that here in the city of Arvin, we know how the technological capacity, the technology, to be able to provide a series of town halls, workshops, forums, all designed to educate and empower our community," Calderon said.
Officers will regularly use the venue for public meetings and more.
"This equipment upgrades that are being done, it will provide a professional, modern venue for us to communicate with a community on something very important related to Fentanyl," Nevarez said.
The city's goal is to make the workshops an inclusive space for all residents.
"Our trainings will absolutely be designed in English and in Spanish for the benefit of our whole community. Translators will always be present to be translating in real time, but also the materials that we develop as a community," Calderon said.
The city said the first workshop will take place this spring, but there is no word on an exact date just yet.
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