MIAMI – In the wake of her husband’s suicide, Carolyn Acosta is on a mission to raise awareness about the mental health struggles that many first responders face in silence.
Her husband, Miami-Dade Fire Capt. Alexander Acosta, battled PTSD until he committed suicide this summer.
Carolyn is now determined to “sound the alarm” about the urgent need for improved mental health support for firefighters and other first responders.
CBS Miami has focused on the mental health crisis across our community.
We recently highlighted the work of a local priest who supports firefighters dealing with PTSD in memory of his late brother.
Carolyn said of her late husband: “He was a wonderful husband, father and friend. A truly good man.”
Alex was 49 years old and a long-time member of the Air Rescue Department.
“One of the things about Alex was that he was very strict when it came to things like work,” Carolyn said. “But he was also compassionate. He was very loving and always expressed his feelings about us, about me and my son, even to his friends.”
Carolyn said her husband went to therapy, sometimes multiple times a week.
She noted that he had trouble sleeping and seemed anxious, but Lt. Acosta, like many first responders, had an internal battle to himself.
“He never talked about it, but I know what he saw wasn’t very good,” Carolyn said.
Following Lt. Acosta’s death, MDFR Director Ray Jadara shared a message posted on social media.
“Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness,” he said. “Alex’s death is a stark reminder of the difficulties many of us face every day, for a variety of reasons, including fear, shame, stigma, or simply not knowing how to face our own problems. It is often ignored.”
The National Firefighters Foundation estimates that 100 to 200 firefighters die by suicide each year, which is about twice the rate in the general population.
“I think Alex’s problem was that no one talked about it,” Carolyn said. “So he had all of this on his mind. I think a lot of first responders feel the same way.”
Carolyn founded the First Alarm Foundation to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in the first responder community.
“First alarm is the first alarm that goes off and I think it should normally be in the house,” Carolyn told CBS News Miami’s Lauren Pastrana. “Sometimes I feel like I can see and feel things inside the house, but maybe I can’t see them outside.”
Carolyn says first responder clinicians need to be trauma-informed and PTSD-savvy so they can better engage with firefighters in crisis. .
The First Alarm Foundation has already attracted the attention of policymakers and local leaders, including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levin Cava.
“Emotions come in waves,” Carolyn says. “But I know I’m on the right track because so many doors are open. So I know this is the right thing to do. Alex has dedicated his life to saving lives. I think it’s time for us to carry on his will.”Leave a legacy and just keep going and help others.” ”
According to Carolyn, firefighters have paid days called “Kelly Days” where they don’t have to work. She says she would like to see something like “Alex Day,” a special paid day for firefighters to focus on their mental health.
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