First Responders

First responders make up 1.4% of Florida’s workforce, but their suicide rate is more than two times higher than other working-age Floridians. The 2nd Alarm Project deploys teams to communities to help.

The "halo law" requires people to stay back 25 feet if a law enforcement officer gives a warning, and local governments have to decide on permit applications within about 30 days to avoid automatic approval.

Among them is one that would restrict access to social media for children, but a federal lawsuit means it will not be immediately enforced.

According to a Florida Policy Institute analyst, the law puts an unfair burden on those who are singlehandedly supporting children, parents or people with disabilities.

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.