The Sun City Center Emergency Squad will host a Falls & Depression Symposium in September designed to provide veterans, their families and community members with information, resources and support surrounding two important health concerns.
The free symposium will be offered in two identical sessions. The first will take place on Thursday, September 10, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the SCC Community Hall, located at 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. in Sun City Center. The second will be on Monday, September 21, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Kings Point Veterans Theater, located at 1904 Clubhouse Dr. in Sun City Center. Lunch will be provided at both events.
The symposium is especially focused on Sun City Center’s large veteran population and the challenges veterans and their families may face. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn practical strategies for preventing falls, recognize warning signs of depression and suicide risk and discover ways to cope with difficult circumstances.
The event also will feature panel discussions with mental health professionals, information about community support services, a question-and-answer session and a resource fair.
“This is a compassionate, veteran-friendly gathering designed to empower attendees with knowledge and hope,” said Kirk Forbes of the Sun City Center Emergency Squad. “We want our veteran community to know that help is available and that no one must face these struggles alone.”
The Sun City Center Emergency Squad has served the community since 1964, when a group of residents organized to provide first aid assistance to ill and injured neighbors. Today, the community-based organization has nearly 400 volunteers during its peak season, including approximately 120 ambulance crew volunteers.
The squad responds to nearly 5,000 emergency calls each year and serves approximately 20,000 residents during the peak season. It operates four Type I ambulances and a wheelchair van from its main station at 720 Ray Watson Dr. in Sun City Center, along with a training center at 124 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. in Sun City Center.
In addition to emergency response, the organization provides American Heart Association-certified CPR training and blood pressure checks.
For more information about the Sun City Center Emergency Squad and its community services, visit https://sccems.com/.
