Florida has launched a statewide hotline for first responders dealing with mental health issues.
Attorney General Ashley Moody announced it during a press conference in Tampa. Moody said the hotline developed from several regional ones around Florida that have found success. It’s meant to help police, firefighters or EMS seek help for trauma they receive on the job.
“We know that 34% of first responders in North America report experiencing depression, 30% experience anxiety. In Florida, just since 2019 we have lost 81st responders to suicide. This year alone, we have already lost 12,” Moody said.
Any first responder anywhere in Florida can call the hotline 24 hours a day and calls are confidential. Moody said destigmatizing and encouraging them to seek mental healthcare will help them and their communities.
“If we continue to foster this culture of support and understanding, recognizing the invisible scars of trauma that first responders experience from events that we see play out in the news every single day, we will build not just a stronger state, but will build stronger and better officers,” she said.
You can call the hotline at 1 866 4 FL HERO or go to lasttoask.com.