Florida nonprofit tackles veteran suicide crisis with community-based approach

A Florida-based nonprofit is tackling veteran suicide by connecting community members and holding fast that the crisis American vets are facing is preventable.

The Fire Watch operates on three premises: that suicide is preventable, that timely connection to resources can save lives, and that communities must play an active role in prevention. 

“It takes the community to get involved in suicide prevention,” Executive Director Nick Howland told Fox News Digital.

After seeing impressive results, The Fire Watch is hoping to take its regional organization nationwide with an approach that tackles veteran suicide differently with treatment-focused efforts and local engagement. 

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At the heart of The Fire Watch’s strategy is the “Watch Stander” program, modeled after CPR training. 

In a concise 30-to-45-minute session, volunteers learn to recognize warning signs, ask direct questions, validate the veterans’ experience, and expedite referral to services—summarized by the acronym SAVE. 

“Like CPR doesn’t train you to be a paramedic, our training doesn’t turn you into a clinician,” Howland said. “It trains you to notice the change and sound the alarm for help.” 

Each Watch Stander leaves with a wallet card, wristband, and sticker as reminders of critical red flags—expressions of self-harm, substance abuse, reckless behavior, or giving away possessions—and the simple steps to get someone to help.

The nonprofit works in tandem with the state’s veteran affairs offices and connects veterans with counseling services.

Since its inception in Northeast Florida, The Fire Watch has tracked dramatic reductions in veteran suicides. 

After recording 81 veteran deaths by suicide in 2019, Howland set an audacious goal: cut that number by at least 25% for three consecutive years. 

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As of the latest data released May 1, veteran suicides in the region fell to 61 in 2023—25% below the 2019 baseline for the fourth straight year. 

Statewide, veteran suicides are down 5%, and in areas where The Fire Watch has a foothold (Northeast Florida, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Escambia County), the decline has been 12%, compared to just 2% elsewhere in the Sunshine State.

“Where we’re building our network of community members who care, who get veterans to the help they need, veteran suicidality is decreasing,” he said. “It’s remarkable.” 

For volunteers like Ryan Haczynski, the program’s impact is deeply personal. After losing a Vietnam veteran friend to suicide in late 2022, Haczynski searched for a way to honor his memory and prevent further loss. 

“I didn’t recognize the signs,” he reflected, telling Fox News Digital that his friend had even asked him to be the executor of his will just weeks before his death. 

Following the vet’s suicide, Haczynski’s online search led him into Watch Stander and Ambassador trainings, where he has since certified others and even helped arrange a proper military funeral for his friend.

Haczynski now uses every community interaction to check in on veterans, validate their experiences, and point them to Fire Watch’s free 24/7 crisis resources.

“We want to give back, we want to help, especially people who have done so much [for our country] to go and serve us,” he said.

Learn more about The Fire Watch at thefirewatch.org.