More firefighters have died by suicide than in the line of duty over the past year, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance.
The numbers are staggering. According to Jeff Dill, founder of FBHA, in the past seven days, eight firefighters across the United States have taken their own lives. One was right here in Fayette County, Georgia.
Dill knows the pressure firefighters and first responders face. He wore the uniform for almost 30 years. That's why he travels the country now to educate and teach firefighters and EMS workers behavioral health.
Unfortunately, he says, it is a difficult subject to discuss. Many factors affect a firefighter’s ability to understand when a fellow brother or sister is suffering, but that does not make it any less critical an issue.