Vision MT Participates in the Fire Watch Program
Local Business Supporting Veterans
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – VISION MT hosted the Fire Watch program in February – an organization whose mission is to reduce the suicide rate among veterans by raising community awareness and connecting individuals at risk to early intervention services. Led by newly elected Jacksonville City Councilmember Nick Howland, more than 60 employees of the local manufacturer’s team gathered to take the “Watch Stander” Pledge and learn more about directing veterans in crisis to the help they need.
At least 20 U.S. veterans are taking their own life everyday, according to the Fire Watch statistics. With more than 1.5 million veterans calling Florida home, VISION President/ CEO Steve Carlo said this is a cause the aerospace company felt strongly about supporting. “It’s a way for us to give back to this extraordinary community in a meaningful way,” said Carlo. That is where Fire Watch comes in.
The Watch Stander program teaches community members to recognize the specific warning signs of an individual in crisis and the steps to help connect that individual to immediate resources that can prevent them from feelings of isolation and helplessness. Presenter Derek Collins explained that veterans may suffer from injuries, mental health issues or simply lack someone to share their experiences with. The Fire Watch training helps civilians understand what they should and shouldn’t say to a veteran in order to make them feel more at ease.
VISION’s former military and civilian employees alike were deeply touched by the cause. At the end of the presentation, every employee became a Watch Stander pledging to be vigilant and unite in standing up for this important cause.
Vision MT is a local small business manufacturer in Orange Park providing structural, electrical, assembly and integration support to military and commercial customers in the Jacksonville area and beyond.
For more information on the Fire Watch program, call (904) 834-9420 or take the Fire Watch link on the VISION MT website www.visionmt.net.
