The Fire Watch

What The Fire Watch does

The Fire Watch is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in late 2019 by Navy veteran and defense industry executive Nick Howland to address the state's persistent veteran suicide rate, which it states has resisted systemic reduction by any prior city, county, or state effort. Its flagship Watch Stander Program, launched in 2020 in Northeast Florida and now statewide, is a CPR-modeled bystander training initiative that asks community members to view two to three short videos, review a resource guide, and sign a pledge so they can recognize warning signs of veterans in crisis and direct them to crisis lines (988, 211, 1-844-MyFLVet) and VA services. The companion Veteran Safe Place Program, launched in 2021, certifies businesses, churches, libraries, and other organizations that train at least 50% of their staff (or a minimum of 50 employees) as Watch Standers; 276 organizations had qualified as of the most recent count, supported by a regional team covering Northeast, Central, Southeast, South, Panhandle, and North Central Florida.

Name

The Fire Watch

Legal name

The Fire Watch Project, Inc.

Website

https://thefirewatch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fire Watch is a Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes 10,000+ trained community "Watch Standers" and 276 certified Veteran Safe Place organizations statewide to recognize veteran suicide warning signs and connect at-risk veterans to crisis resources across all 67 Florida counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Suicide Prevention Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAM)

Keywords

• Veteran suicide prevention
• Suicide prevention training
• Veteran support services
• Community crisis intervention
• Nonprofit veteran programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Fire Watch Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 85-3790585) that relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and sponsors to fund its programs. Donations are accepted via PayPal on the website. The organization states it has over 1.5 million Veterans in Florida who are the beneficiaries of its services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fire Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes community members and organizations across Florida to recognize warning signs of veteran suicide and connect veterans in crisis to support resources. Its core offerings include the Watch Stander Program (free CPR-style training for individuals) and the Veteran Safe Place Program (organizational certification requiring 50% or at least 50 employees trained). Supporting resources include a statewide data dashboard tracking veteran suicides across all 67 Florida counties, a mobile app, and faith leader training materials.

Product overview

The Fire Watch is Florida's non-profit initiative to end veteran suicide, operating a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on its Watch Stander Program and Veteran Safe Place Program. The Watch Stander Program is the core offering—a community training initiative modeled after CPR that trains individuals to recognize warning signs and connect veterans to resources. The Veteran Safe Place Program extends this training to businesses and organizations. Supporting these core programs are the Statewide Resources guide, Faith Leader Resources, a mobile application for iOS and Android, and a Statewide Data Dashboard tracking veteran suicide statistics across Florida's 67 counties. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with no API or technology product integrations documented.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Watch Stander Program: Community training program that mobilizes individuals to recognize warning signs of Veterans in crisis and direct them to support resources
• Veteran Safe Place Program
• Faith Leader Resources

Products and services

• Watch Stander Program A free, CPR-style suicide prevention training program that mobilizes community members to recognize warning signs of veterans in crisis and direct them to support resources such as 988, 211, and VA services. Training consists of 2-3 short videos, a resource guide review, and a pledge, taking approximately 45 minutes. More than 10,000 Floridians have been trained as Watch Standers as of November 2025.
• Veteran Safe Place Program An organizational certification program for businesses, churches, and other entities to qualify as a designated Veteran Safe Place by training at least 50% of staff or a minimum of 50 employees (whichever is less) as Watch Standers. Training is delivered free of charge by Regional Programs Directors in 1-hour in-person or virtual sessions. 276 organizations have qualified as Veteran Safe Places.
• The Fire Watch Mobile App A free native mobile application available for iPhone/iPad via the Apple App Store and Android via Google Play, providing Watch Standers and the public on-the-go access to crisis lines (911, 988 Veterans Crisis Line, 211, 1-844-MyFLVet), resource guides, referral tools, and Watch Stander wallet cards.
• Statewide Data Dashboard An interactive statewide data dashboard covering all 67 Florida counties that tracks non-identifiable veteran suicide counts, rates, and Watch Stander counts per county, with demographic breakdowns by age, gender, and other factors from 2010 to 2025. Serves as a baseline tool to measure program success and identify high-risk veteran populations.
• Faith Leader Resources Educational materials and training resources for clergy, faith-based organizations, and religious communities on military culture, deployment cycles, PTSD, and veteran mental health. Includes video resources designed to help faith leaders recognize warning signs and provide meaningful spiritual and practical support to veterans and military families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26% reduction in Veteran suicides in Northeast Florida, 2019–2025; 10% statewide reduction over the same period
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valor Health SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Valor Health Solutions, a veteran-owned mental health organization providing ketamine-based therapies across Tennessee and Florida, joined The Fire Watch's Watch Stander Program. The organization brings more than 10,000 trained advocates into the network and will participate in community outreach and advocacy initiatives. This partnership extends the program's mental health service reach while integrating veteran suicide prevention training into Valor's service delivery model.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a key partner organization supporting the Watch Stander program. Listed prominently among partner logos on The Fire Watch website, indicating a close collaborative relationship in veteran suicide prevention efforts.
• PsychArmorcoreTechnology or IntegrationPsychArmor provides the online training platform (learn.psycharmor.org) hosting Watch Stander training courses. Separate course links are provided for Active Duty/Veteran and Civilian audiences. PsychArmor also provides supplemental content such as '15 Things Veterans Want You to Know' video.
• United Way (Mission United)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnited Way of Northeast Florida's Mission United program is listed as a partner, providing a community network connecting Veterans and families to critical health, human, and social services through case management. Operates through United Way 211.
• Cohen Veterans Network / Cohen Military Family Clinic at CenterstoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCohen Veterans Network provides outpatient mental health care for active-duty, National Guard/Reserve, veterans, and all military families. Listed as a resource and partner on The Fire Watch website.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led nonprofit combining disaster response with veteran reintegration and mental health support. Comparable mission-aligned veteran-services nonprofit model with national footprint.
• PsychArmor: National nonprofit providing free online training and education on military culture for civilians and professionals. Already a platform partner of The Fire Watch; offers overlapping training content.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Leading national veteran advocacy and services organization focused on the post-9/11 veteran population, including mental health and suicide prevention policy. Comparable advocacy/community model to The Fire Watch at national scale.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large national veteran-support nonprofit offering mental health, physical wellness, and economic empowerment programs. Already a partner of The Fire Watch; competes for the same donor and veteran-engagement attention.
• Stop Soldier Suicide: National nonprofit focused exclusively on veteran and service-member suicide prevention through direct support, family engagement, and community training. Closest direct peer to The Fire Watch's mission and community-training model.
• Give an Hour: National nonprofit providing free mental health services to veterans, active duty, and their families through a network of licensed providers. Comparable veteran-mental-health nonprofit model with national reach.
• United Way Mission United: United Way's veteran-services initiative providing case management and resource navigation for veterans. Listed as a partner of The Fire Watch; offers overlapping veteran resource-navigation services.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): National nonprofit providing peer-based support, counseling, and resources to military families bereaved by the loss of a service member, including suicide loss. Comparable veteran-family support and bereavement model.
• Cohen Veterans Network: National nonprofit operating outpatient mental health clinics for veterans and military families. Already listed as a partner/resource by The Fire Watch; addresses overlapping veteran mental health needs.

Broad incumbents

• Veterans Crisis Line (VA): Federal 24/7 crisis counseling service operated by the VA, reachable via 988. The Fire Watch's referral pathway terminates here; represents the incumbent national crisis-response channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YourTurnToStand
• Facebookfacebook.com/YourTurnToStand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yourturntostand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fire Watch