Veteran suicide remains a heartbreaking crisis in Florida, where veterans are 58% more likely to die by suicide than the general population.

Since 2000, more than 140,000 veterans in the state have taken their own lives.

With over 1.5 million veterans calling Florida home, the question looms large: What does it take to end veteran suicide?

“We all agree veteran suicide is bad. We don’t need a campaign to convince anybody of that. But what can we do differently?” said retired Brigadier Gen. Mike Fleming.

Answering that question is how The Fire Watch was born.

Created in 2019 by Rory Diamond and supported by leaders across five Northeast Florida counties, The Fire Watch is a collaborative effort focused on preventing veteran suicide through community involvement.

And now it’s reached a

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