Violent Death Reporting

 Violent death is a major public health problem across the United States and Montana is not immune to this epidemic. Unfortunately, Montana remains one of the leading states in the nation for suicide and has been at or near the top of that list for nearly four decades. As of 2019, the CDC reported that Montana has the second highest rate in the nation for firearm related suicides, right behind Wyoming, and has the 10th highest rate in the nation for firearm related deaths.

In order to address the burden of these violent deaths, the Montana DPHHS EMS & Trauma Systems has received funding for the collection of violent death data and use of the CDC National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). EMSTS will bring together state agency programs and external partners to collect information about Montana violent deaths and to address key prevention activities. EMSTS will leverage and enhance existing partnerships, as well as facilitate strategic communication among and between all partners for increased coordination and effectiveness. Building upon successful initiatives and programs currently in place, Montana VDRS (MT-VDRS) will develop new partnerships and strategies to implement surveillance and prevention initiatives. The purpose of MT-VDRS is to create and implement a plan to collect and disseminate accurate, timely and comprehensive surveillance data on violent deaths across the state using CDC guidelines and web-based data entry systems, as well as disseminate data to stakeholders. 

For more information, please visit the CDC National Violent Death Reporting System website and check out the 2023 VDRS Factsheet.