Fire Watch works to lower veteran suicide rates across Florida
An organization that got its start as a Northeast Florida government entity is now a nonprofit flying on its own, and spreading its mission across Florida.
The mission is the same: To decrease veteran suicide rates.
The Northeast Florida Fire Watch Council, initially named, officially dissolved the Interlocal Agreement that made it a government entity. The group will continue its work as a 501c3 nonprofit organization known simply as The Fire Watch.
Between 2019 and 2022, veteran suicide rates dropped 27% in Northeast Florida according to the nonprofit. Brigadier General (retired) Michael Fleming told the News-Leader they are reducing these rates by what they call, educating and engaging the 90%.
“If you have 90% who can be advocates for you, and can really be part of the plan… I really think that’s where we can do more.”
Fleming is the chairman of The Firewatch Council and said he has been involved with the group from its start. He said, there was a thought, “how can the community be involved in the fight against the scourge of veteran suicide?” He said, “Our goal was not to become a call center, it was, ‘what can we do innovatively.’”
The name of The Fire Watch comes from a term used across the military. The term “fire watch” describes the person standing guard when others are asleep.
“We thought Fire Watch would be a term most people in the military would recognize, that you’re standing in the gap, or standing in support of others, which is really what the focus of the Fire Watch is,” Fleming explained.
But it’s not those who have served who are in watch, it’s the 90% who haven't served.
“People who have actually served in the military, it’s like, 8 or 9% of the population. So, If we’re waiting on veterans to save other veterans from suicide, we’ve already lost that battle, because frankly there just aren’t enough of us,” Fleming said. “But what if we could get the 90% that never served… could we do something to engage, we call it ‘engage the 90%.’”
“Could we surround veterans with a sea of goodwill in their community and see if that made a difference?” Fleming said.
To gain the title of Watch Stander, someone must undergo about an hour of training, which can be done online.
“It’s a lot like CPR. Because ... if you take CPR, you don’t become a doctor, but what you do is, you stand in the gap… You stabilize them and get them to help,” Fleming explained. “That’s really what we want our Watch Standers to do — to be friends with their veterans. We teach the Watch Standers about resources and things that they can connect their veterans to.”
Fleming said there are easily over 7,000 Watch Standers across Florida.
“We want Watch Standers to be engaged with their veterans' lives, and just be there for them,” Fleming said. “We want people to feel comfortable and not really view veterans as being different. ‘If you didn’t serve in the military you can’t talk to them’ – that’s totally false.”
The nonprofit keeps veteran suicide county-by-county data available on its website. The website says there are 69 Watch Standers in Nassau County, but there are thousands across Northeast Florida.
Chris Obarski, the media contact for The Fire Watch told the News-Leader that no one else is really keeping track of the county-by-county data.
“We’re one of the few organizations that we’re aware of that actively tracks veteran suicide on a county-by-county basis throughout the state of Florida… We want to be able to see those numbers at a state and county level.”
Obarski explained that through looking at the data on the county-by-county scale, they have been able to pinpoint some problem areas, such as in Tampa and West Palm. “We actually have dedicated employees that are there doing this training for the community and also businesses.”
Not only is the nonprofit training individuals, it also is offering designations to businesses as “Veteran Safe Places.”
Fleming said that if half the employees do the training, the business will receive the designation. Any type of business can do it.
Obarski said, “It’s the same Watch Stander training course that’s available to the community, but our directors are delivering it personally through a presentation, either virtually or in-person. Once a company goes through that, they’re deemed a Veteran Safe Place and they get a plaque they can put up in their office. To date, we’ve done more than 100 of them across the state.”
Twice a year, the Fire Watch also does a Faith Leader Training in collaboration with the Veteran’s Administration that is hosted at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone.
“Many of us turn to our faith leaders when we have a challenge in our lives or something and so we really feel like faith leaders can be on the frontline to help our veterans,” Fleming said. He said those who are interested can find more information under the Faith Leaders tab on the organization’s website.
In 2019, Nassau County joined the Interlocal Agreement between St. Johns, Baker and Clay counties along with the City of Jacksonville, for the multi-jurisdictional government entity — the Northeast Florida Fire Watch Council. Paul Lore was the most-recently appointed representative of the council for Nassau County. Fleming was the representative of St. Johns County and also was elected the Chair.
Fleming said the Interlocal Agreement was never meant to be permanent.
“One of the great things about the way it was structured … the Northeast Florida Fire Watch Council actually (was) a government entity, and so that allowed us to use county resources for assistance and questions and things like that… But our pledge was … our goal was to make progress and become self-sustaining.”
Fleming and Obarski believe the organization is making a difference. The Fire Watch reported that it achieved its goal in Northeast Florida in 2022, with 3 consecutive years with veteran suicides at least 25% below the 2019 baseline. In the entire state of Florida, the suicide rates also have fluctuated, but in 2019 there were 660 and in 2022, there were 655.
“Obviously it’s important in general that those numbers are going down,” Obarski said. “But the trends up here are so far outpacing everywhere else in the rest of the state that it’s worth noting. Part of the reason that we think that is, is because we do have over 4,000 watch standers up here.”
The Florida Department of Veteran Affairs reached out to the group to begin talks of spreading its efforts outside of Northeast Florida. Fleming said, “so we had to create a 501c3 to allow us to go other places in the state of Florida or even outside the state of Florida.”
Obarski said, “In portions of the state of Florida that we have dedicated people training … veteran suicide has gone down 16%, where we are not, it has gone up 8%. So we think there is a correlation there.”
Obarski said each Watch Stander is referring at least one veteran to resources every year.
“If I had one big wish, it would be that every citizen would become a Watch Stander,” Fleming said.
For more information on joining the Fire Watch efforts to stand against veteran suicide, visit www.thefirewatch.org.
Last month, Nassau County made the break from the group officially, and recognized its new nonprofit status. Fleming was in attendance at the Board of County Commissioners meeting at which the Interlocal Agreement was dissolved. Fleming gave a break down of the numbers and goals for the future, and thanked the board for its support in making the Fire Watch what it has now become, an organization making a difference.
Fire Watch is doing a fundraiser for Suicide Prevention Month, the whole month of September. The group posted that Veteran suicides are down 27% in Northeast Florida, and are asking “those who share our mission to support our ‘$27 for 27%’ fundraising campaign during Suicide Prevention Month! Your generosity will keep our suicide prevention training programs free to the community!” The group posted.
Those who are interested in donating can find the link to donate on the organizations Facebook page, www.facebook.com/YourTurnToStand/.
The Florida Department of Health says if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or reach out through chat by visiting 988lifeline.org/chat. Veterans can call 988 and press 1. Visit www.floridahealth.gov for more information.