The Fire Watch

The Fire Watch is Florida’s fight to end veteran suicide. We are uniting our War Fighters and allies to swiftly activate local assets, stand watch, & build a life-saving network. The Problem: Veteran suicide is a growing crisis, & at least 20 veterans are taking their lives every day in America. To date, solutions for this epidemic have been inadequate at best. In particular, federal solutions have had little to no effect on the crisis on the ground here in Northeast Florida. Given that Northeast Florida is home to over veterans, the need, the challenge, and opportunity are evident. The Origin: Based upon the success & experience of Northeast Florida non-profit K9s For Warriors, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs to disabled American veterans, in preventing veteran suicide, The Fire Watch was created to re-create on a regional scale the support system & inter-connectivity required to keep our veterans safe from taking their own lives. The Plan: The Fire Watch is a coordinated effort between the City of Jacksonville & the counties of Baker, Clay, Nassau & St. John’s to end veteran suicide in our region. The City of Jacksonville will serve as the legal home of The Fire Watch & coordinate with the surrounding counties via inter-local agreements. Through a series of partnerships & collaborations between local, state, & federal agencies, private donors, media entities, & regional & national non-profits, The Fire Watch will coordinate an effort to organize existing resources to combat the veteran suicide epidemic locally. In addition, The Fire Watch will initiate a series of new programs directed at keeping local veterans supported & far away from even contemplating suicide; in particular, The Fire Watch will create a network of local veterans & allies all working together to strengthen our one-on-one support & interpersonal connections. Through trust, & comradery & support, we will keep our warriors safe.