BRONX —

James Dobbins of Guns Down Life Up, which aims to curb gun violence among young men, considers himself a sort of firefighter.

When he gets a beep from the pager on his belt, he heads to a local hospital, seeking to put out emotional blazes. “Who’s there for that family member that’s traumatized?” he asks. “Who’s there for a young man that just saw his friend get shot?”

Guns Down Life Up, funded by the city Health and Hospitals Corporation, is also designed to help the friends and families of victims.

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