OGDEN, Utah — Firefighters risk their lives every day to save others, but many fight their own battles once the sirens stop, with Utah Fire and Rescue Academy leaders saying more firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty.

“Firefighters are meant to be brave, they’re meant to be the hero," retired Ogden City fire captain Rich King said. "They can’t show their weaknesses, so they take that point with them and they don’t share it with anybody — over time it builds up.”

This month, the South Davis Metro Fire and Cedar City Fire departments shared online that they had each lost a firefighter while off-duty. It's unclear how the two died, but both departments offered resources for anyone who might be struggling, with a crisis hotline specifically for local firefighters.

King spent

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