TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida's first responders are expected to be there when tragedy strikes.
But those dedicated men and women can often carry mental-trauma from stress on the job.
That's why Florida's First Lady Casey Desantis along with first responders held a listening session Tuesday to discuss ways the state could better provide emotional support for law enforcement firefighters and EMT's.
Recent studies found that nearly one-in-five law enforcement officers may have PTSD and even more have symptoms of it.
"Its now incumbent upon us as a community and as a state to make sure that we are supporting them, and i don't think it's ironic that we hear the sirens off in a distance. because as we speak there are people who put their lives on the lines for us," said Casey Desantis.
A non-profit that tracks law enforcement suicides says there have been 114 this year, which is a 24 percent increase over last year.
