diff --git a/api/get_template.php b/api/get_template.php
index c7b3b3b..6a1a35e 100644
--- a/api/get_template.php
+++ b/api/get_template.php
@@ -1,48 +1,50 @@
 <?php
-session_start();
-require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/config/config.php';
-require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/models/TemplateModel.php';
+/**
+ * Get Template API
+ * Returns a ticket template by ID
+ */
 
-header('Content-Type: application/json');
+require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/helpers/ErrorHandler.php';
+ErrorHandler::init();
 
-// Check authentication
-if (!isset($_SESSION['user']) || !isset($_SESSION['user']['user_id'])) {
-    echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Not authenticated']);
-    exit;
-}
-
-// Get template ID from query parameter
-$templateId = $_GET['template_id'] ?? null;
-
-if (!$templateId || !is_numeric($templateId)) {
-    echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Valid template ID required']);
-    exit;
-}
-
-// Cast to integer for safety
-$templateId = (int)$templateId;
-
-// Create database connection
-$conn = new mysqli(
-    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_HOST'],
-    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_USER'],
-    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_PASS'],
-    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_NAME']
-);
-
-if ($conn->connect_error) {
-    echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Database connection failed']);
-    exit;
-}
-
-// Get template
-$templateModel = new TemplateModel($conn);
-$template = $templateModel->getTemplateById($templateId);
-
-$conn->close();
-
-if ($template) {
-    echo json_encode(['success' => true, 'template' => $template]);
-} else {
-    echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Template not found']);
+try {
+    session_start();
+    require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/config/config.php';
+    require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/helpers/Database.php';
+    require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/models/TemplateModel.php';
+
+    header('Content-Type: application/json');
+
+    // Check authentication
+    if (!isset($_SESSION['user']) || !isset($_SESSION['user']['user_id'])) {
+        ErrorHandler::sendUnauthorizedError('Not authenticated');
+    }
+
+    // Get template ID from query parameter
+    $templateId = $_GET['template_id'] ?? null;
+
+    if (!$templateId || !is_numeric($templateId)) {
+        ErrorHandler::sendValidationError(
+            ['template_id' => 'Valid template ID required'],
+            'Invalid request'
+        );
+    }
+
+    // Cast to integer for safety
+    $templateId = (int)$templateId;
+
+    // Get template
+    $conn = Database::getConnection();
+    $templateModel = new TemplateModel($conn);
+    $template = $templateModel->getTemplateById($templateId);
+
+    if ($template) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => true, 'template' => $template]);
+    } else {
+        ErrorHandler::sendNotFoundError('Template not found');
+    }
+
+} catch (Exception $e) {
+    ErrorHandler::log($e->getMessage(), E_ERROR);
+    ErrorHandler::sendErrorResponse('Failed to retrieve template', 500, $e);
 }
diff --git a/helpers/ErrorHandler.php b/helpers/ErrorHandler.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82de9e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helpers/ErrorHandler.php
@@ -0,0 +1,263 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Centralized Error Handler
+ *
+ * Provides consistent error handling, logging, and response formatting
+ * across the application.
+ */
+class ErrorHandler {
+    private static $logFile = null;
+    private static $initialized = false;
+
+    /**
+     * Initialize error handling
+     *
+     * @param bool $displayErrors Whether to display errors (false in production)
+     */
+    public static function init($displayErrors = false) {
+        if (self::$initialized) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Set error reporting
+        error_reporting(E_ALL);
+        ini_set('display_errors', $displayErrors ? '1' : '0');
+        ini_set('log_errors', '1');
+
+        // Set up log file
+        self::$logFile = sys_get_temp_dir() . '/tinker_tickets_errors.log';
+        ini_set('error_log', self::$logFile);
+
+        // Register handlers
+        set_error_handler([self::class, 'handleError']);
+        set_exception_handler([self::class, 'handleException']);
+        register_shutdown_function([self::class, 'handleShutdown']);
+
+        self::$initialized = true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Handle PHP errors
+     *
+     * @param int $errno Error level
+     * @param string $errstr Error message
+     * @param string $errfile File where error occurred
+     * @param int $errline Line number
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public static function handleError($errno, $errstr, $errfile, $errline) {
+        // Don't handle suppressed errors
+        if (!(error_reporting() & $errno)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $errorType = self::getErrorTypeName($errno);
+        $message = "$errorType: $errstr in $errfile on line $errline";
+
+        self::log($message, $errno);
+
+        // For fatal errors, throw exception
+        if (in_array($errno, [E_ERROR, E_USER_ERROR, E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR])) {
+            throw new ErrorException($errstr, 0, $errno, $errfile, $errline);
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Handle uncaught exceptions
+     *
+     * @param Throwable $exception
+     */
+    public static function handleException($exception) {
+        $message = sprintf(
+            "Uncaught %s: %s in %s on line %d\nStack trace:\n%s",
+            get_class($exception),
+            $exception->getMessage(),
+            $exception->getFile(),
+            $exception->getLine(),
+            $exception->getTraceAsString()
+        );
+
+        self::log($message, E_ERROR);
+
+        // Send error response if headers not sent
+        if (!headers_sent()) {
+            self::sendErrorResponse(
+                'An unexpected error occurred',
+                500,
+                $exception
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Handle fatal errors on shutdown
+     */
+    public static function handleShutdown() {
+        $error = error_get_last();
+
+        if ($error !== null && in_array($error['type'], [E_ERROR, E_PARSE, E_CORE_ERROR, E_COMPILE_ERROR])) {
+            $message = sprintf(
+                "Fatal Error: %s in %s on line %d",
+                $error['message'],
+                $error['file'],
+                $error['line']
+            );
+
+            self::log($message, E_ERROR);
+
+            if (!headers_sent()) {
+                self::sendErrorResponse('A fatal error occurred', 500);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Log an error message
+     *
+     * @param string $message Error message
+     * @param int $level Error level
+     * @param array $context Additional context
+     */
+    public static function log($message, $level = E_USER_NOTICE, $context = []) {
+        $timestamp = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+        $levelName = self::getErrorTypeName($level);
+
+        $logMessage = "[$timestamp] [$levelName] $message";
+
+        if (!empty($context)) {
+            $logMessage .= " | Context: " . json_encode($context);
+        }
+
+        error_log($logMessage);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send a JSON error response
+     *
+     * @param string $message User-facing error message
+     * @param int $httpCode HTTP status code
+     * @param Throwable|null $exception Original exception (for debug info)
+     */
+    public static function sendErrorResponse($message, $httpCode = 500, $exception = null) {
+        http_response_code($httpCode);
+
+        if (!headers_sent()) {
+            header('Content-Type: application/json');
+        }
+
+        $response = [
+            'success' => false,
+            'error' => $message
+        ];
+
+        // Add debug info in development (check for debug mode)
+        if (isset($GLOBALS['config']['DEBUG']) && $GLOBALS['config']['DEBUG'] && $exception) {
+            $response['debug'] = [
+                'type' => get_class($exception),
+                'message' => $exception->getMessage(),
+                'file' => $exception->getFile(),
+                'line' => $exception->getLine()
+            ];
+        }
+
+        echo json_encode($response);
+        exit;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send a validation error response
+     *
+     * @param array $errors Array of validation errors
+     * @param string $message Overall error message
+     */
+    public static function sendValidationError($errors, $message = 'Validation failed') {
+        http_response_code(422);
+
+        if (!headers_sent()) {
+            header('Content-Type: application/json');
+        }
+
+        echo json_encode([
+            'success' => false,
+            'error' => $message,
+            'validation_errors' => $errors
+        ]);
+        exit;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send a not found error response
+     *
+     * @param string $message Error message
+     */
+    public static function sendNotFoundError($message = 'Resource not found') {
+        self::sendErrorResponse($message, 404);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send an unauthorized error response
+     *
+     * @param string $message Error message
+     */
+    public static function sendUnauthorizedError($message = 'Authentication required') {
+        self::sendErrorResponse($message, 401);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Send a forbidden error response
+     *
+     * @param string $message Error message
+     */
+    public static function sendForbiddenError($message = 'Access denied') {
+        self::sendErrorResponse($message, 403);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get error type name from error number
+     *
+     * @param int $errno Error number
+     * @return string Error type name
+     */
+    private static function getErrorTypeName($errno) {
+        $types = [
+            E_ERROR => 'ERROR',
+            E_WARNING => 'WARNING',
+            E_PARSE => 'PARSE',
+            E_NOTICE => 'NOTICE',
+            E_CORE_ERROR => 'CORE_ERROR',
+            E_CORE_WARNING => 'CORE_WARNING',
+            E_COMPILE_ERROR => 'COMPILE_ERROR',
+            E_COMPILE_WARNING => 'COMPILE_WARNING',
+            E_USER_ERROR => 'USER_ERROR',
+            E_USER_WARNING => 'USER_WARNING',
+            E_USER_NOTICE => 'USER_NOTICE',
+            E_STRICT => 'STRICT',
+            E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR => 'RECOVERABLE_ERROR',
+            E_DEPRECATED => 'DEPRECATED',
+            E_USER_DEPRECATED => 'USER_DEPRECATED',
+        ];
+
+        return $types[$errno] ?? 'UNKNOWN';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get recent error log entries
+     *
+     * @param int $lines Number of lines to return
+     * @return array Log entries
+     */
+    public static function getRecentErrors($lines = 50) {
+        if (self::$logFile === null || !file_exists(self::$logFile)) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        $file = file(self::$logFile);
+        if ($file === false) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        return array_slice($file, -$lines);
+    }
+}