JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new report from a local organization dedicated to ending veteran suicides shows those numbers are improving.
New data released by ‘The Fire Watch’ dives into a statewide report, showing veteran suicides were down by nearly 50 percent in Northeast Florida from 2019 to 2021.
The Fire Watch breaks it down county by county. In 2021 there were 24 in Duval, 10 in Clay, and 4 in St. Johns. Those 38 veteran suicides dropped from 72 in 2019 across the three counties, a 47% decrease.
Nick Howland, the Executive Director of The Fire Watch aims to build a lifesaving network.
“End veteran suicide by preventing it,” said Howland.
From co-workers, friends, and family, The Fire Watch trains those community members to help spot signs of suicidal tendencies before veterans slip into crisis.
“We want to reach veterans where they live, work and play,” said Howland. “The goal is to train as many members of the community as we can to be able to intervene when they see that there is a veteran at risk.”
Nick Howland is also an At-Large Jacksonville City Council Member and said the organization trained about 3,000 community members to be watchstanders in Northeast Florida, and said they want to keep growing that network.
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