The Gelt Charitable Foundation had the distinct honor of partnering with the Boston Fire Department to combat suicide among first responders. Over 1,500 Boston Firefighters were trained in suicide prevention this summer using Gelt Charitable Foundation’s new first responder curriculum.
A leading cause of death among firefighters is suicide. In 2019, over 118 firefighters died by suicide, a record high. It was this bone-chilling statistic, coupled with the aim to fight stigma within the first responder community that led the foundation to focus its attention on our nation’s finest.
“First responders are the tough guys, the Heroes with a capital H. But they’re also Humans, with a capital H,” shared Leigh Ioffe, the Director of Education at the Gelt Charitable Foundation. “They’re often the first to respond to a crisis and the last to receive help. We wanted to change that.”
If you want to get involved with helping to meet the various needs of a first responders, reach out to: info@geltcharitable.foundation