First Responders

The anonymous hotline to give police, firefighters or EMS a way to seek help for trauma they receive on the job.

Last year, 64 police officers were fatally shot in the line of duty. There were 160 who took their own lives. Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez now stands as a tragic example of where mental health and policing intersect.

The law allows qualified CNAs to administer “routine” medications to residents, freeing up registered nurses to provide other needed care.

The Crisis Center teamed up with Ultimate Medical Academy to launch an EMT apprenticeship program that offers students free tuition and paid jobs. They aim to remove barriers to getting certified.

Florida is among 32 states that don’t treat 911 dispatchers as first responders. Recent efforts in the state Legislature to change that have not advanced.

Amendment 3 would increase the homestead exemption for teachers, law enforcement and the military, and other first responders.

Firefighters in Southwest Florida are working around the clock to protect residents and don't have much time to repair their own homes. That's where the union is helping out, with firefighters from Broward among those stepping in.

The Mental Health for Heroes Foundation hopes to provide around 250 hours of paid counseling a month and other mental health services to first responders and their families.

The Tunnels to Towers Foundation — which will provide 76 mortgage-free homes to first responders and Gold Star families — donated the piece, which will be kept as an inspiration in a Pasco County fire station.

Those eligible will receive a check in the mail written for slightly more than $1,000 to make up for funds lost after taxation.

Florida Disaster Recovery mental health coordinator Sara Newhouse discusses the challenges people face after a disaster and how the Florida Division of Emergency Management is planning to aid in their recovery.

A year ago, the Champlain Towers South condominium collapsed in Surfside. Many first responders who searched for weeks to find victims are still struggling with what they saw, smelled and heard.