Henry Angulo returns to share how The Firewatch is creating a measurable impact on veteran suicide rates across Florida through their community-based approach. As Regional Programs Director for South Florida, Henry reveals the powerful statistics behind their work – including a consistent 27% decrease in veteran suicide in Northeast Florida since their program began.
The conversation takes a powerful turn when Scott shares a personal story of using his Firewatch training to help a veteran in crisis, highlighting the effectiveness of their "Veterans Safe Place Program." This free 45-60 minute training provides participants with a wallet card containing critical resources and a step-by-step process for handling crisis situations – a simple tool that literally saves lives.
Henry explains how The Firewatch is expanding across Florida through county grants and their Ambassador program, which allows passionate volunteers to become certified trainers. We learn how states like California and Alaska have expressed interest in implementing similar programs, showing the potential for this Florida success story to develop into a national movement.
What makes The Firewatch's approach unique is their focus on creating "connectors" throughout communities – regular people equipped to recognize warning signs and guide those in crisis toward professional help. Their model acknowledges that suicide affects everyone, with approximately 135 people impacted by each suicide, making prevention truly a community-wide responsibility.
Ready to make a difference? Visit thefirewatchorg.org to request training for your organization, become an Ambassador, or support this vital mission through donations that help keep these life-saving resources free and accessible to all.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Scott McLean (00:01):
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Scott McLean.
My guest today is Henry Angulo.
Henry's with the FirewatchSouth Florida.
Right, Henry, Correct, yes, sir.
Henry Angulo (00:12):
Thank you for having me.
Scott McLean (00:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So give us your important title, my friend.
Henry Angulo (00:16):
I am the Regional Programs Director for South
Florida for the Firewatch.
Scott McLean (00:23):
So you're the man In South Florida for the
Firewatch.
So you're the man In SouthFlorida.
Henry Angulo (00:26):
In South Florida.
There you go buddy.
Scott McLean (00:29):
So Henry was on the podcast about eight months
ago.
This podcast is coming up on ayear old and I think Henry was
around episode six, seven oreight and it was a great episode
and we decided to bring himback, like we will with other
guests from the past, and getcaught up on what's going on
(00:49):
with their organizations.
Now, firewatch is a 501c3nonprofit focusing on suicide
prevention in the veteran space,but also suicide prevention as
we've talked about in the past.
Henry, it covers everybody.
It does.
It covers everybody in every,every denomination, every race,
(01:11):
every religion, whatever it is.
It's not.
Henry Angulo (01:14):
Yeah, it's not exclusive, exactly, exactly, I
agree the one that we like tokind of put out there suicide
affects everybody.
It doesn't matter if it's aveteran, if it's a youth, if
it's the elderly, whoever it is,it affects the whole community.
So that's our kind of like themotto that we go by.
The one thing that stat-wisethat I like to put out there is
(01:40):
from, I want to say SAMHSA did aresearch on the amount of
people that are affected fromone suicide in the community.
A research on the amount ofpeople that are affected from
one suicide in the community,and it's about 135, I want to
say from from one suicide,whether it's related family,
close friends, coworkers, youknow.
So it expands to about 135people for every suicide.
So yeah, it's not exclusive.
No it includes everybody.
Scott McLean (02:01):
So, for the listeners that maybe don't want
to go back to episode six, sevenor eight, give us another
rundown on what firewatch is,how they started and what their,
what their goal is, whatthey're all about.
Henry Angulo (02:16):
All right.
So we are a veteran nonprofitcomposed of veterans that
provide free suicide preventiontraining to organizations and
individuals.
We want to involve thecommunity when it comes to
veteran suicide preventioninstead of leaving it to bigger
organizations like theDepartment of VA or the state or
(02:37):
anybody else.
Who wanted the community to beinvolved.
Started in 2019 in theNortheast Florida section.
Started in 2019 in theNortheast Florida section,
specifically Jacksonville area,so including Duval County, clay
County, st John's County thosefive counties up there Started
an organization called theFirewatch Project and the whole
(03:06):
idea behind it was to involvethe community when it comes to
suicide prevention.
Since 2019, we have grown into astatewide organization, you
know, not just covering thatNortheast Florida area, but
covering everywhere.
I came into the organization in2022 and have been focusing on
South Florida because it is oneof our target areas when it
comes to suicide prevention, forthe high number of veterans
(03:28):
that live in this area,obviously, and along with that
high number of veteranspopulation unfortunately, comes
suicide as well.
So that's why we're out heredoing what we do.
So our main areas that werefocused right now are south
florida, tampa area,hillsborough, manatee county,
(03:49):
the counties out there, and thenstill that duval, county,
jacksonville area.
Scott McLean (03:53):
So those are our three main areas so you, you
were, uh, basically the southflorida guy for firewatch.
I could tell you personallythat you did, and you're doing,
an amazing job because you'reone of the only people.
I say this, henry, as if me andHenry are friends.
By the way, henry has the Icall it the Madonna effect,
(04:15):
where he only has to be known byone name.
Everybody knows Henry.
I was talking to a veteranyesterday.
I swear I was talking to aveteran yesterday and I said
Firewatch.
I was talking to a veteranyesterday and I said Firewatch,
and they said oh Henry, oh,there you go.
Oh, good, Good, that's, that isgood.
They knew you just by yourfirst name.
Yeah, there you go.
Henry Angulo (04:35):
I don't know if that's you know whether they
want good things or bad things.
Scott McLean (04:39):
It's a good thing.
Henry Angulo (04:50):
That means you're the second person to bring that
up, because I was at a traininga few, a few weeks ago and they
were like oh, I, I'm a firewatchguy.
And I was like, yes, they werelike, and they took out from
their pocket one of my cards.
I was like see, there you goyeah that's, that's good, that's
a good thing so we have that incommon.
Scott McLean (05:06):
I was doing, uh, an outreach, the outreach event
recently for mission united, andyou know my?
Here's my cheap plug one man,one mike foundation.
Look it up, one man, one mikefoundationorg.
I don't mean to steal yourthunder, no, no, no, please.
And uh, somebody walked up tome and they're like you're the
podcast guy.
Henry Angulo (05:24):
Oh see, there you go, there you go.
That's exactly what they saidYou'd be like.
That is who I am, that'sexactly who I am.
Help me out.
Scott McLean (05:30):
That's right, not a bad thing.
So what's been going on withFirewatch?
What's the latest in numbersand stats?
Henry Angulo (05:42):
and stats.
Okay, so, as hopefully mostpeople know, the 2022 numbers
from the VA when it comes toveteran suicide came out in
December 2024 because they aretwo years retroactive to put out
the data.
So the 2024 data came out atthe end of last year, but it
(06:05):
shows the 2022 numbers, if thatmakes sense.
But for us, we just put out ourFlorida specific 2023 numbers
when it comes to the Firewatchveteran suicide data.
So that's where the fire watchdata kind of differs from what
(06:26):
the va kind of department of vaanyway kind of puts out.
Yeah and but unfortunately weonly focus on florida because
we're a state program for now.
Whoever's listening and wantsto make us a national program,
we're all about it, oh yeah, butuh, we're a state program for
now.
So, but it shows overall numberof veterans.
(06:46):
Suicides in the state did comedown.
It was about got it.
I don't have the exact figures,I apologize.
The one thing that we have toshow that we are kind of
promoting out there, as as thefire watch, is that this the
2023 numbers, showed aconsistent 27% decrease when it
(07:09):
came to veteran suicide in theNortheast Florida area where the
Firewatch started.
Scott McLean (07:14):
All right.
Henry Angulo (07:15):
So since 2021, I mean since 2020, 2021, 2022, and
now 2023, there has been aconsistent 27.
Last time it was 27, but therehas been a consistent over 25%
decrease when it came toveterans.
Each year, each year, wow.
So that is what we like to lookat and say hey, you know, our
(07:38):
program is working.
Our program, what we're doingis counting.
The community is accepting itand they are using it.
Because that's really all thefire watch is doing just
providing the connection,providing the training,
providing the knowledge, theawareness.
And the community is what'sdoing the work right.
They're the ones providing thereferrals, they're the ones
(08:01):
giving the resources out topeople that need it.
So the 27% decrease ispromising for sure.
Scott McLean (08:10):
So I would also say, or add to that, that you
don't just, if I watch justdoesn't train veteran
organizations, they also traincivilian organizations, correct,
yeah.
And so what we want to do?
Yeah, well, absolutely,absolutely yeah.
And so what we want to do?
Yeah, well, absolutely,absolutely Right.
And so I would.
I think it's safe to say thatit would.
(08:30):
Do you have any numbers on the,on the decrease in civilian,
for lack of a better termsuicide rate in those areas, or
is it just a veteran focusednumber?
Henry Angulo (08:45):
well, we have only veteran focused numbers.
Okay, but we do compare it tothe civilian numbers.
Yeah, if you go to our website,thefirewatchorg, you can not
only find our training there forfree, but you can also look at
their data.
Yeah, and you can look at thestate data that, like our report
for 2023, that that is outthere, as well as the county's
(09:08):
data, so you will be able to goon there, click on, let's say,
palm beach, and you'll be ableto compare last year's numbers
to this year's numbers, just inthe county as well.
You know, unfortunately, Idon't know, that's all right now
for it.
Scott McLean (09:22):
No, it's all there , but anyone can go on our
website and it's the Firewatch,not Firewatch.
It's T-H-E-F-I-R-E-W-A-T-C-Hthe Firewatch.
Henry Angulo (09:32):
Yep, thefirewatchorg, and you'll be
able to see that data on there.
But for us, we do compare it,obviously, to our civilian side
and we also compare it to whatthe VA puts out, like I was
saying earlier, and usually ourdata is pretty good at
predicting what the VA is goingto put out the following year or
(09:53):
at the end of the year as well.
So we can look at theFirewatch's 2023 data and it
will predict what the VA isgoing to put out at the end of
the year as well.
Interesting.
So we've been seeing that forthe past three or four years as
well.
Scott McLean (10:11):
All right, yeah, interesting, although you focus
down here in South Florida.
We were talking before thepodcast, you've.
Well, you're up in BrevardCounty now.
Brevard County, brevard County,okay, anything above Palm Beach
County, I really don't care,henry, I just don't care.
I'm only kidding.
(10:32):
I'm only kidding To thelisteners beyond Palm Beach
County.
I'm only kidding.
Henry Angulo (10:36):
Hopefully it goes beyond Palm Beach.
Scott McLean (10:38):
Exactly.
Henry Angulo (10:55):
So now you have a focus up there, as we were
talking about, and that'sbecause to expand statewide
Unfortunately, we have now notrenewed that, they haven't
renewed that with us.
So we have to find differentangles of grants to keep this
going, to keep this free for thecommunity, to keep our programs
(11:17):
going, and the one way thatwe've been able to do that is
through county funding.
So Brevard County has been oneof the ones that are backing our
mission.
So they are provided us a grantso we can focus in the county
and provide our training to thecounty organizations, help out
county veterans and make moreconnections, just like we did,
(11:39):
just like we have beenspecifically in Brevard.
So, yeah, it's, it's been umand as I always say, money is
the engine that runs thenonprofit machine.
Scott McLean (11:53):
That is true, and if they were generous enough,
then they get the attention.
It's not that you're going totake attention away from other
places, because I know it's justnot the way the organization
runs.
They want to reach out as faras they can.
Henry Angulo (12:05):
Exactly.
Scott McLean (12:06):
Yeah, so we had this discussion.
You're still going to be aroundSouth Florida.
You know down around this areaif you have to be, how many of
you are there in the Firewatch?
Henry Angulo (12:18):
We started our ambassador program, yeah, which
our ambassador program would be,our volunteer program?
Yeah, and we started ittechnically in 2023.
So it's only been a year sincewe've established it and kept it
going.
Right now, I think, we havefive across the state, only
because it is a process, youknow, not everyone can.
(12:41):
Unfortunately, our organizationisn't structured to where
people can say I just want tovolunteer my time and we can
kind of, you know, use them asvolunteers to fill in or
anything like that because ofwhat we do.
Yeah, they actually have toprovide the training, you know.
So we have to make sure thatthey are and that's what we call
(13:03):
them ambassadors Right, we haveto make sure that they are and
that's what we call themambassadors right, like true
representatives of what we wantto do and what we want to
accomplish.
So we call them ambassadors.
There's only five and I onlyhave one technically in the
South Florida area.
Scott McLean (13:18):
And her name is Rajani.
She was here yesterday.
Oh really Awesome, she was hereyesterday, shout out to Rajani.
Henry Angulo (13:23):
She did a great job all around she was here
yesterday.
Scott McLean (13:25):
Oh, really Awesome , she was here yesterday.
Shout out to Rajani, she did agreat job all around my buddy.
Johnny Schray, who he's on myboard of directors for One man.
One man, yeah, I know Johnny.
I know Johnny.
He has a video podcast that hedoes and he's using this studio
now.
Henry Angulo (13:37):
Okay, nice.
Scott McLean (13:37):
And he brought her in yesterday.
That's how it came up and shesaid to him she goes, oh, I
could train you like.
Henry Angulo (13:51):
so she showed and this wasn't prompted by anything
like she didn't know I knew you, or anything right, yeah, see,
she's, uh, she's a good, goodcandidate for that, for sure,
and she has been great, like youknow.
Uh, she took it on on on top ofall her roles that she does
normally, yep, and she took iton and said yeah, I would like
to do this.
She went through the wholeprocess, you, you know, she
attended a few classes.
We sat down, I showed her howto do it.
We went through videos andother stuff that we show Right,
(14:11):
right, and she's been reallygood at doing it, yeah, so that
information is on the website.
Yes, how to become an ambassador.
An ambassador, yeah, you can goto our website, go to our
ambassador program, reach outand, even if it's not in our
program, reach out to me.
Yeah, and I'll put.
I'll give my information at theend of this and then anyone can
reach out to me and I'll bemore than happy to connect them
and get that process started.
(14:32):
Yeah, I'm waiting for Mr Oakleyto finish his process.
He'll be listening To be anambassador as well.
I know he listens to thispodcast.
Scott McLean (14:41):
Oh, that's the Jonathan Oakley from Mission
United.
I'm sorry, Palm Beach County.
Little Freudian's clip there Ididn't mean to throw that jab at
my buddy Jonathan.
Yeah, it's a great program andI think if you're interested as
a listener, go look at it.
Go look at it.
It's a difference maker.
(15:02):
It's definitely a differencemaker.
Henry Angulo (15:04):
For sure, yeah, and we get, like I said, it's a
process for a reason.
We actually give you the toolsto go and actually do a good job
when it comes to trainingindividuals, because our goal is
for whoever is representing thefire watch to really understand
what we're doing, believe inthe mission number one,
(15:27):
understand why we're doing itand then put it out to who they
believe would be the mostbeneficial from this training,
just like we do.
You know, as directors, we wewould give it to anyone that's
interested, just like you said,said before for-profits,
non-profits, veteranorganizations, non-veteran
(15:48):
organizations, businesses,whoever cares about veterans,
whoever wants to make adifference in a veteran's life,
whoever wants to put it outthere.
We definitely do that.
Scott McLean (15:58):
Even a civilian company, because civilians
listen to this and I don't mean.
I call them civilians for lackof a better term.
It only differentiates betweenthe veteran and the civilian
world non-non-veteransnon-veterans.
Yeah, so they also can reachout to you as they have, and
they can go to the website ifthey want to get their, their
(16:19):
company, their organization ortheir business trained right,
correct?
Henry Angulo (16:24):
yes, our organization program.
It's called the Veterans SafePlace Program and we provide the
training, whether it's inperson or online, and then we
designate them what we call aVeterans Safe Place and they can
just reach out to us on thewebsite.
It only takes maybe about 45minutes to an hour,
(16:44):
training-wise.
I was just going to ask yeah,it's about 45 minutes to an hour
, training-wise.
Scott McLean (16:46):
I was just going to ask yeah, it's about 45
minutes to an hour the training.
You guys come in, or you wouldcome in if you're down here and
set up and everything's ready.
They just need to come in andsit down and just start learning
.
Exactly, it's very easy, it'sthe process.
It's okay.
Sometimes it's not easy tolisten to because the facts are
(17:07):
the facts about suicide, like.
I don't want to make this light, you know what I mean, because
it's real and you talk aboutreal scenarios, real situations,
how to deal with real people.
Correct, you know so, but Itook it and it's an amazing
training and I've already saidthis a few times.
It came in handy.
I can speak on that firsthand,you know.
Henry Angulo (17:30):
But I think it gives you a guideline to what
you can do next.
Yeah, you know like.
Okay, we talked about it.
Now where do I go from here?
Scott McLean (17:39):
That's the thing that's exactly Where's the
transition into the next step.
And then I, I swear, and to mylisteners, I wouldn't, I don't
lie, and if I did, I wouldn'twaste one on you guys.
Henry Angulo (17:51):
I love you guys.
Scott McLean (17:53):
I literally ran to that car Like I got it out of
my wallet while I was talking tomy buddy, the veteran, and I
looked at that card and itreally gave me like the veteran
and I looked at that card and itreally gave me like okay, focus
, yeah it gave me focus exactly,and that's really what you need
in that situation.
Henry Angulo (18:10):
Yeah, and to those who don't know you, we every
watch stander that takes ourtraining, whether it's online or
in person.
If you provide us a mailingaddress, you get a wallet card
yes, a plastic wallet card thathas the resources, the immediate
resource, in the front, andthen it has the the process of
the acronym of the process inthe back.
Yeah, so it can provide thatimmediate guideline as to where
(18:34):
do I go from here, because Icould tell you for me.
So I was a veteran advocate forfor a while and I was literally
on a phone line for a while,and I was literally on a phone
line, right, so I was talking toveterans that were in crisis,
talking like I have a gun in myhand.
Yeah, well, I am ready, like,tell me why I shouldn't.
Right, that, that's the holyreason why they're calling is.
(18:56):
Tell me why I shouldn't.
So, yeah, you, you, you getinvolved in it as as much as
that person is right and you areyou yourself, you get escalated
.
Scott McLean (19:08):
Yes, Feelings you might never have that much
pressure on you in your life.
Exactly, exactly, literallyLike I don't care how much
pressure, you might neverexperience that much pressure
again and thank God it's not awell, well, I don't know.
God bless you for doing that,because that cannot be an easy
job.
Henry Angulo (19:29):
That you know.
No, and god bless to the peoplethat do it every day.
Yes, you know, because it's notan easy job at all.
No at all, but the and thereason why I say that is because
even then, even after all theclasses that I've took and after
being, you know all this andpracticing and all that, when
it's actually live and it'shappening, you do, you go blank
(19:51):
and you're like, you're elevatedand you feel your heartbeat and
you're like OK, and to havethat piece of paper Exactly what
you just said.
Scott McLean (20:00):
You don't want to.
You don't want to spew that out, though you got to kind of like
let they look into you now,right.
Henry Angulo (20:07):
Yeah, because you're supposed to be the one
that's helping, right?
Yes, so having that piece ofpaper there to me, like I had it
right on my screen, you know Ihad it so I could pull it, so I
could look at it, so I was like,okay, let's go to the next step
.
Okay, now I fill this in.
Now, let that's the next step.
Yep, okay, now I fill this in.
(20:27):
Now let's go to the next step.
So it gives me a guideline andthat's exactly what we provide
to everybody.
Yeah, so you don't have to be a, an expert, you don't have to
be a clinician, you don't haveto be a therapist, you don't
have to be all of these things.
All you need to do is kind ofintervene, yeah, and connect
them, make them feel like whenyou connect them to those
therapists and those clinicians,they're actually going to get
(20:49):
help.
So that is what we're trying todo.
Scott McLean (20:52):
And then there's, in that scenario I'm not going
to say misinformation, but theindividual I was speaking to,
his wife, had come home andshe's like call 2-1-1, call
2-1-1.
And 2-1-1 serves a greatpurpose.
It really does.
Yeah, I will never disparageanybody on this podcast, anyone
that services, veterans orpeople in general.
(21:12):
They, they all have their kinks, you know, in the armor, but
you know it's still and I'm I'mlistening.
And then I went no, no, itdawned on me.
Yeah, then I said you got tocall 988.
Good, right, and then I secondguessed myself and I've told you
this story.
I'm like, wait, is it 988?
(21:34):
Literally and I'm a pretty calmguy, like I'm pretty cool under
pressure and I ran to the cardand it had more information 988,
press one, dah, dah, dah, dah.
And then it continued fromthere in the card.
So I am proof positive that theFirewatch training really works
and I highly, highly suggest ifyou're a nonprofit you know a
(21:55):
nonprofit if you're, if you're anon-veteran listening to this
podcast, reach out to theFirewatch, the Firewatch.
Henry Angulo (22:04):
Yeah, thefirewatchorgorg.
Yes, and everything is on ourwebsite.
But just to go back to to whatyou were saying with that panic
moment, yeah, I always relate itto, you know, when you're like
taking a math test in college orwhatever and you're like so
above beyond, and you're likeyou're second guessing
everything, so you're like, wait, the does one plus one equal
(22:26):
two.
Let me, let me check mycalculator, you know, yeah, so
so that's exactly.
Yeah, the pattern comes in andyou're like, hold on, is it?
Is it 98?
Hold on, let me check realquick.
Yeah, but having that thingthere where you can pull it out,
yeah, and look at it, tangible,wise yeah, now, you never, I
can say this, you're neverprepared for it.
Scott McLean (22:44):
Oh no, because you don't.
You never expect it.
Yeah right, but the differenceis, if, unfortunately, it does
happen to you as a listener, oneof the listeners out there or
all of you, at least afteryou've had this training, you
know, boom, I have a resource.
I have an instant resource toget me, kind of keep me, within
(23:08):
the guardrails of where I needto be to handle this particular
situation, and that's what wewant to do.
Henry Angulo (23:14):
Like we were saying, get people from A to B
to C, how to navigate that inbetween.
And the number one thing wewant to make our community
successful all connectors, right.
We want to have as manyconnectors in the community as
we can.
So, let's say, a veteran orreally whoever is going through
(23:36):
a crisis can reach out to any ofthose connectors and get
connected to, like I was sayingbefore, an expert, a clinician
who's going to actually helpthem out.
So that's what we want.
Scott McLean (23:48):
And that's what happened with this, with one of
the individuals he was going to.
He said I'll call in themorning.
I said, no, you're going toactually help them out.
So that's what we want.
And that's what happened withone of the individuals.
He said I'll call in themorning.
I said, no, you're going tocall now.
There you go.
Don't sleep on this.
And he believed you.
He did and he trusted youExcellent, excellent job.
And the next day he gotimmediate help.
He had just moved to Indiana.
He didn't know anybody there,he didn't know anything going
(24:16):
about the area, but they tookcare of him literally the next
day, like that, and they saidcome in in the morning.
You know he's like I'm goodright now, but they said he went
.
He went right in and I'm intouch with him quite often now
and he's doing great.
And you know it was a beautifulChristmas because he sent me a
thing saying because of you, I'mcelebrating Christmas with my
grandchildren this year.
Excellent, dude, that made mecry like a baby.
(24:37):
It's emotional, yeah it reallywas because that, you know, it
was just something, that wasjust.
You know, he was thinking aboutthat.
Henry Angulo (24:45):
Yeah Well, like I said before you get involved,
yes, in with them, you areliterally in there with them.
Yeah Well, like I said beforeyou get involved in with them,
you are literally in there withthem, and then to see them come
out on the other side you cameout of the other side with them
as well.
Scott McLean (25:05):
So you, you're there, so I received it when I
was with.
You know, I'm still with herdfoundation, I'm still a veteran,
that that you know goes thereevery Friday and I do my thing
and.
But we got the training andagain, thank you for for giving
me those tools to be able to, touse them in that situation.
Henry Angulo (25:25):
Thank you for actually implementing them and
using them.
You're welcome and and and and,yeah, doing the job that you do
.
When you had your event, youknow for, yeah, one man, one mic
, like you know, it was an ideawhen we first met, right, it was
like I'm trying to think abouthaving this thing.
And now here we are, yeah, youknow.
Yeah, it's a year later andyeah and things are working out
(25:46):
great, man.
Scott McLean (25:47):
So what's on the horizon for the firewatch?
They're looking to expand or dothey just like?
How is that?
I know you want to be national,but is it so you know what this
is?
I was talking to somebody againyesterday about wawa the yeah,
the gas station with all thefood and the whole thing, like
the amazing wawa.
And I remember when I was inthe military station with a guy
(26:10):
from South Jersey and all heranted about was Wawa.
Henry Angulo (26:13):
You know, and that's exactly from Jersey.
Yeah, yeah, so you knew aboutit.
Going down the shore, we wouldgo to Wawa and it was like this
little, you know, kind of likeone store, two stores, but only
in that South Jersey area.
Scott McLean (26:26):
And so, next thing , you know, like, there's three
going up within five miles of me, right, because they all seem
to go in clusters.
Right, they don't build justone, they're going to build
three at the same time.
Right, brilliant strategy.
But I assume that that's whatthe fire watch really wants to
do is start expanding into otherStates.
Henry Angulo (26:50):
Ideally for sure, yeah, yeah, and we've had a few
other states reach out to us,yeah, one of them being
California.
You know LA has a very heavyconcentration of veterans.
Yes, and like I said before,with that veteran population
comes an elevated suicide rate,yes, so so their suicide rate
was going up.
(27:10):
So they kind of reached out tous.
You know they like the program,they want to learn how to
implement it, you know.
But again, the number one thingis having the fun to do it.
Scott McLean (27:22):
Exactly.
You can't go out and build aWawa, you can't go build a fire
watch without the money, Exactly, yeah.
Henry Angulo (27:29):
And the number one thing I think for for us is we
want to keep it free.
Free and accessible.
We have to let it be accessibleto the community, because
there's nothing worse thansomebody being like I have the
time, but I don't have the moneyto do this.
Yes, we need to step away and,you know, as long as they give
(27:51):
us the time, we are there.
That is what we want.
So it's kind of hard toimplement, you know, when there
isn't that funding behind it.
Another one that reached out andI think this was last year and
if my director's listening, he'sgoing to say something in his
head about this but Alaska,Alaska was another one.
Wow, head about this.
(28:12):
But Alaska, Alaska was anotherone.
Yeah, yeah, there's.
They also have a high suiciderate out there and and we were
like, hey, this is what we do.
We sent them guidelines and allthis and.
But again, implementing ittakes funds and it's like who is
going to provide the funds sowe can implement this program up
here?
And the reason why I bring upmy director is because I was
like, hey, if I got to go toAlaska to start helping this out
(28:33):
, let me know and I'll be upthere for a few months or
whatever.
But again, they know the issue,they see that our program does
work.
Scott McLean (28:43):
It's working down here.
Henry Angulo (28:45):
But again, it takes funding, it takes time to
implement and hopefully thereare other organizations out
there, maybe in different states, that are listening to this,
look at our model and kind oflike what we're doing and see
that it can work in their areaas well and find a way to
(29:07):
implement it their area as welland find a way to implement it.
Scott McLean (29:10):
Or if you're an interested, maybe donor and you
want to fund for the fire watchto go up in Arizona, north
Carolina, colorado.
Henry Angulo (29:23):
Colorado.
It's an army base out there.
It has a high veteran suiciderate.
But yeah for sure you knowanyone that has the funds has
the heart to do rate.
But yeah for sure you knowanyone that has the funds has
the heart to do this.
Scott McLean (29:35):
Yeah, please reach out, because it's I mean, that
is money well invested rightthere, absolutely well invested.
What else do we have going onwith anything?
Anything for the fire watchother than that Just doing your
thing up in doing it?
Henry Angulo (29:51):
in brevard county and, like you said before, this
is a way for us to expand.
Yeah, not not to go like, allright, we're out of the south
florida area now we're focusing,and it doesn't mean that it
means we're we're expanding, youknow, keeping everything we're
doing down here, hopefullyexpanding on it.
Yeah, just like you said before, if anybody wants to become an
ambassador, yes, would be huge,so please do reach out.
(30:13):
My email is H a N G U L O atthe firewatchorg, and again,
that's H.
Or hotel, yeah, hotel alphaNovember golf uniform Lima.
Oscar, did you have to?
think about that I did.
(30:33):
I didn't have to think aboutthat.
I was like hold on, it's been awhile At thefirewatchorg and
then my phone number407-796-8089.
407-796-8089.
So if you want to be aambassador for our training,
(30:54):
please do reach out.
If you're interested in ourdata, do reach out.
If you're interested in ourwatchstander program, in our
Veterans Safe Place program, ifjust the idea looks good to you
and you're like I want to seehow I can get involved, do reach
out.
Because the one thing that Ilike to say makes a huge
difference is awareness.
(31:14):
If you're aware of what's goingon, you can help other people
around.
Yes, the awareness is numberone.
Scott McLean (31:22):
And give them money.
Henry Angulo (31:25):
Yes, we are also a 501c3.
Give them your money and we arelooking for donations, yesc3.
Give them your money and we arelooking for donations.
Scott McLean (31:31):
Yes, yes, give them your money.
If this is something that you,that you, this has just touched
you and you're like this is anamazing program and I'm vouching
for it myself, give them yourmoney.
It's the engine that runs themachine.
It's the thing no one talksabout with nonprofits.
Yes, and I've repeated this anumber of times over the last
year this podcast but I can'tstress that enough.
(31:53):
It is the engine that runs themachine.
It is what nonprofits need tosurvive, correct and do the good
work, the great work, theamazing work that all of our
nonprofits are doing.
It's all based on money.
Some need more than others.
Yes, you know, but every,literally every dollar counts.
Henry Angulo (32:12):
I can't say penny anymore.
Scott McLean (32:13):
They say every penny counts.
It doesn't, doesn't really mydollars don't make no sense.
Yeah, yeah, so yeah for sure.
Every dollar counts for them.
Henry Angulo (32:25):
So that is why we're here.
You know almost a year lateryeah, back Cause they would here
.
You know almost a year lateryeah back, was able to come back
.
Scott McLean (32:32):
Yeah, this keeps going and hopefully I'll be back
in a year.
Oh, this podcast is going.
This is not leaving the air atany time soon.
Henry Angulo (32:36):
Right, exactly, this is going to be around for a
long time yes, hopefully, andit will, it will now the last
thing I want to leave you with,yes, is we want to present a
certificate of qualification asa veteran safe place to Vets
Connection podcast.
Nice, right, so I got you,since you are such an advocate
(32:59):
number one for all vets yeah.
Number two for vets that wantto accomplish something, through
the One man, one Mic Foundationyeah, and then through this
podcast as well.
Like I said earlier, going froman idea to implementation and
all you've done huge, huge, myfriend, and thank you for what
you are doing and what you willcontinue to do it for not only
(33:24):
Palm beach community, but forthe state and for everyone out
there that's listening as well.
So, thank you.
And this small certificate, youknow it represents what you do
and hopefully it's a small thankyou from the Firewatch and
qualifies you as a veteran safeplace.
All right, yeah, it's in aframe and everything it is.
It is in a frame.
Scott McLean (33:45):
I got good treatment yeah.
Henry Angulo (33:47):
And you got a couple of stickers as well.
Scott McLean (33:48):
I love stickers.
Henry Angulo (33:49):
Veteran safe.
You got the good treatment.
Scott McLean (33:50):
Yeah, and you got a couple of stickers as well.
I love stickers.
Better and safe place yes,firewatch, I love stickers.
Yeah, yeah, this podcast, toquote the great ZZ Top I'm live
and I'm nationwide.
There you go, exactly.
Henry Angulo (33:59):
And you were talking about across the world.
Yes, two right Countries.
Yeah, different countries.
Scott McLean (34:10):
This has already been heard in like 25 countries.
Excellent, yeah, that's amazing.
There's expats, there's peoplethat just pick things up on
podcasts, exactly, and theylisten.
And that's every new listener,every new download, every new
country, every new city.
I don't know about 400 citiesso far in the United States.
That's I'm grateful and I'mhonored that they even do that.
It.
I'm honored that they even dothat.
It's just seeing this thinggrow is you know?
Well, it's again.
(34:31):
That's what I reap from it,where you and I know this is a
love fest, but it's real.
It's a good thing where you getthat feedback in other ways for
what you do.
Henry Angulo (34:43):
Yeah, exactly.
Huge platform for all.
Like you were saying,nonprofits out here, yeah, and
for us to connect, yes,literally.
Nonprofits out here, yeah, andfor us to connect, yes,
literally, let's connect.
Scott McLean (34:54):
Exactly.
All right, we're going to endit on that.
One buddy.
One more time thefirewatchorg.
Reach out to Henry and become adonor, become ambassador, yep,
and just get involved, get thetraining, get the training.
(35:15):
That's like mostly, I would sayget the training, no matter if
you're non-veteran, I'll startusing that now so I don't insult
the civilians Non-veterans yeah, taking care of that.
Henry Angulo (35:37):
10 the veterans, because that's the community
that's going to hopefully stepin and intervene and bring these
numbers down great point tosuicide revenge.
Scott McLean (35:46):
Yeah, great point.
Well, all right, listen.
Well, we built a second bridgewith the fire watch and, uh, we,
he'll be back next year too,maybe before every eight months,
I think we'll get henry back inquarterly if you want quarterly
.
If you want get updates, that'sall right with me.
That's all right with me, buddy.
Uh, you're the one making thethe drive down from brevard
(36:06):
county.
I finally got it right after anhour, but it's always a
pleasure, my friend.
I always like talking to youand you know you're doing great
work.
And with that, as I always say,listen to the end of the
episode.
There's a good public serviceannouncement, with my wife's
beautiful voice instead of mywell voice.
(36:29):
It talks about 2-1-1 and 9oneand 988, as a matter of fact,
and it's like I don't know 30seconds long.
So take a listen to it and, asusual, you will hear me next
week with a new episode.
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Scott McLean.
My guest today is Henry Angulo.
Henry's with the FirewatchSouth Florida.
Right, Henry, Correct, yes, sir.
Henry Angulo (00:12):
Thank you for having me.
Scott McLean (00:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So give us your important title, my friend.
Henry Angulo (00:16):
I am the Regional Programs Director for South
Florida for the Firewatch.
Scott McLean (00:23):
So you're the man In South Florida for the
Firewatch.
So you're the man In SouthFlorida.
Henry Angulo (00:26):
In South Florida.
There you go buddy.
Scott McLean (00:29):
So Henry was on the podcast about eight months
ago.
This podcast is coming up on ayear old and I think Henry was
around episode six, seven oreight and it was a great episode
and we decided to bring himback, like we will with other
guests from the past, and getcaught up on what's going on
(00:49):
with their organizations.
Now, firewatch is a 501c3nonprofit focusing on suicide
prevention in the veteran space,but also suicide prevention as
we've talked about in the past.
Henry, it covers everybody.
It does.
It covers everybody in every,every denomination, every race,
(01:11):
every religion, whatever it is.
It's not.
Henry Angulo (01:14):
Yeah, it's not exclusive, exactly, exactly, I
agree the one that we like tokind of put out there suicide
affects everybody.
It doesn't matter if it's aveteran, if it's a youth, if
it's the elderly, whoever it is,it affects the whole community.
So that's our kind of like themotto that we go by.
The one thing that stat-wisethat I like to put out there is
(01:40):
from, I want to say SAMHSA did aresearch on the amount of
people that are affected fromone suicide in the community.
A research on the amount ofpeople that are affected from
one suicide in the community,and it's about 135, I want to
say from from one suicide,whether it's related family,
close friends, coworkers, youknow.
So it expands to about 135people for every suicide.
So yeah, it's not exclusive.
No it includes everybody.
Scott McLean (02:01):
So, for the listeners that maybe don't want
to go back to episode six, sevenor eight, give us another
rundown on what firewatch is,how they started and what their,
what their goal is, whatthey're all about.
Henry Angulo (02:16):
All right.
So we are a veteran nonprofitcomposed of veterans that
provide free suicide preventiontraining to organizations and
individuals.
We want to involve thecommunity when it comes to
veteran suicide preventioninstead of leaving it to bigger
organizations like theDepartment of VA or the state or
(02:37):
anybody else.
Who wanted the community to beinvolved.
Started in 2019 in theNortheast Florida section.
Started in 2019 in theNortheast Florida section,
specifically Jacksonville area,so including Duval County, clay
County, st John's County thosefive counties up there Started
an organization called theFirewatch Project and the whole
(03:06):
idea behind it was to involvethe community when it comes to
suicide prevention.
Since 2019, we have grown into astatewide organization, you
know, not just covering thatNortheast Florida area, but
covering everywhere.
I came into the organization in2022 and have been focusing on
South Florida because it is oneof our target areas when it
comes to suicide prevention, forthe high number of veterans
(03:28):
that live in this area,obviously, and along with that
high number of veteranspopulation unfortunately, comes
suicide as well.
So that's why we're out heredoing what we do.
So our main areas that werefocused right now are south
florida, tampa area,hillsborough, manatee county,
(03:49):
the counties out there, and thenstill that duval, county,
jacksonville area.
Scott McLean (03:53):
So those are our three main areas so you, you
were, uh, basically the southflorida guy for firewatch.
I could tell you personallythat you did, and you're doing,
an amazing job because you'reone of the only people.
I say this, henry, as if me andHenry are friends.
By the way, henry has the Icall it the Madonna effect,
(04:15):
where he only has to be known byone name.
Everybody knows Henry.
I was talking to a veteranyesterday.
I swear I was talking to aveteran yesterday and I said
Firewatch.
I was talking to a veteranyesterday and I said Firewatch,
and they said oh Henry, oh,there you go.
Oh, good, Good, that's, that isgood.
They knew you just by yourfirst name.
Yeah, there you go.
Henry Angulo (04:35):
I don't know if that's you know whether they
want good things or bad things.
Scott McLean (04:39):
It's a good thing.
Henry Angulo (04:50):
That means you're the second person to bring that
up, because I was at a traininga few, a few weeks ago and they
were like oh, I, I'm a firewatchguy.
And I was like, yes, they werelike, and they took out from
their pocket one of my cards.
I was like see, there you goyeah that's, that's good, that's
a good thing so we have that incommon.
Scott McLean (05:06):
I was doing, uh, an outreach, the outreach event
recently for mission united, andyou know my?
Here's my cheap plug one man,one mike foundation.
Look it up, one man, one mikefoundationorg.
I don't mean to steal yourthunder, no, no, no, please.
And uh, somebody walked up tome and they're like you're the
podcast guy.
Henry Angulo (05:24):
Oh see, there you go, there you go.
That's exactly what they saidYou'd be like.
That is who I am, that'sexactly who I am.
Help me out.
Scott McLean (05:30):
That's right, not a bad thing.
So what's been going on withFirewatch?
What's the latest in numbersand stats?
Henry Angulo (05:42):
and stats.
Okay, so, as hopefully mostpeople know, the 2022 numbers
from the VA when it comes toveteran suicide came out in
December 2024 because they aretwo years retroactive to put out
the data.
So the 2024 data came out atthe end of last year, but it
(06:05):
shows the 2022 numbers, if thatmakes sense.
But for us, we just put out ourFlorida specific 2023 numbers
when it comes to the Firewatchveteran suicide data.
So that's where the fire watchdata kind of differs from what
(06:26):
the va kind of department of vaanyway kind of puts out.
Yeah and but unfortunately weonly focus on florida because
we're a state program for now.
Whoever's listening and wantsto make us a national program,
we're all about it, oh yeah, butuh, we're a state program for
now.
So, but it shows overall numberof veterans.
(06:46):
Suicides in the state did comedown.
It was about got it.
I don't have the exact figures,I apologize.
The one thing that we have toshow that we are kind of
promoting out there, as as thefire watch, is that this the
2023 numbers, showed aconsistent 27% decrease when it
(07:09):
came to veteran suicide in theNortheast Florida area where the
Firewatch started.
Scott McLean (07:14):
All right.
Henry Angulo (07:15):
So since 2021, I mean since 2020, 2021, 2022, and
now 2023, there has been aconsistent 27.
Last time it was 27, but therehas been a consistent over 25%
decrease when it came toveterans.
Each year, each year, wow.
So that is what we like to lookat and say hey, you know, our
(07:38):
program is working.
Our program, what we're doingis counting.
The community is accepting itand they are using it.
Because that's really all thefire watch is doing just
providing the connection,providing the training,
providing the knowledge, theawareness.
And the community is what'sdoing the work right.
They're the ones providing thereferrals, they're the ones
(08:01):
giving the resources out topeople that need it.
So the 27% decrease ispromising for sure.
Scott McLean (08:10):
So I would also say, or add to that, that you
don't just, if I watch justdoesn't train veteran
organizations, they also traincivilian organizations, correct,
yeah.
And so what we want to do?
Yeah, well, absolutely,absolutely yeah.
And so what we want to do?
Yeah, well, absolutely,absolutely Right.
And so I would.
I think it's safe to say thatit would.
(08:30):
Do you have any numbers on the,on the decrease in civilian,
for lack of a better termsuicide rate in those areas, or
is it just a veteran focusednumber?
Henry Angulo (08:45):
well, we have only veteran focused numbers.
Okay, but we do compare it tothe civilian numbers.
Yeah, if you go to our website,thefirewatchorg, you can not
only find our training there forfree, but you can also look at
their data.
Yeah, and you can look at thestate data that, like our report
for 2023, that that is outthere, as well as the county's
(09:08):
data, so you will be able to goon there, click on, let's say,
palm beach, and you'll be ableto compare last year's numbers
to this year's numbers, just inthe county as well.
You know, unfortunately, Idon't know, that's all right now
for it.
Scott McLean (09:22):
No, it's all there , but anyone can go on our
website and it's the Firewatch,not Firewatch.
It's T-H-E-F-I-R-E-W-A-T-C-Hthe Firewatch.
Henry Angulo (09:32):
Yep, thefirewatchorg, and you'll be
able to see that data on there.
But for us, we do compare it,obviously, to our civilian side
and we also compare it to whatthe VA puts out, like I was
saying earlier, and usually ourdata is pretty good at
predicting what the VA is goingto put out the following year or
(09:53):
at the end of the year as well.
So we can look at theFirewatch's 2023 data and it
will predict what the VA isgoing to put out at the end of
the year as well.
Interesting.
So we've been seeing that forthe past three or four years as
well.
Scott McLean (10:11):
All right, yeah, interesting, although you focus
down here in South Florida.
We were talking before thepodcast, you've.
Well, you're up in BrevardCounty now.
Brevard County, brevard County,okay, anything above Palm Beach
County, I really don't care,henry, I just don't care.
I'm only kidding.
(10:32):
I'm only kidding To thelisteners beyond Palm Beach
County.
I'm only kidding.
Henry Angulo (10:36):
Hopefully it goes beyond Palm Beach.
Scott McLean (10:38):
Exactly.
Henry Angulo (10:55):
So now you have a focus up there, as we were
talking about, and that'sbecause to expand statewide
Unfortunately, we have now notrenewed that, they haven't
renewed that with us.
So we have to find differentangles of grants to keep this
going, to keep this free for thecommunity, to keep our programs
(11:17):
going, and the one way thatwe've been able to do that is
through county funding.
So Brevard County has been oneof the ones that are backing our
mission.
So they are provided us a grantso we can focus in the county
and provide our training to thecounty organizations, help out
county veterans and make moreconnections, just like we did,
(11:39):
just like we have beenspecifically in Brevard.
So, yeah, it's, it's been umand as I always say, money is
the engine that runs thenonprofit machine.
Scott McLean (11:53):
That is true, and if they were generous enough,
then they get the attention.
It's not that you're going totake attention away from other
places, because I know it's justnot the way the organization
runs.
They want to reach out as faras they can.
Henry Angulo (12:05):
Exactly.
Scott McLean (12:06):
Yeah, so we had this discussion.
You're still going to be aroundSouth Florida.
You know down around this areaif you have to be, how many of
you are there in the Firewatch?
Henry Angulo (12:18):
We started our ambassador program, yeah, which
our ambassador program would be,our volunteer program?
Yeah, and we started ittechnically in 2023.
So it's only been a year sincewe've established it and kept it
going.
Right now, I think, we havefive across the state, only
because it is a process, youknow, not everyone can.
(12:41):
Unfortunately, our organizationisn't structured to where
people can say I just want tovolunteer my time and we can
kind of, you know, use them asvolunteers to fill in or
anything like that because ofwhat we do.
Yeah, they actually have toprovide the training, you know.
So we have to make sure thatthey are and that's what we call
(13:03):
them ambassadors Right, we haveto make sure that they are and
that's what we call themambassadors right, like true
representatives of what we wantto do and what we want to
accomplish.
So we call them ambassadors.
There's only five and I onlyhave one technically in the
South Florida area.
Scott McLean (13:18):
And her name is Rajani.
She was here yesterday.
Oh really Awesome, she was hereyesterday, shout out to Rajani.
Henry Angulo (13:23):
She did a great job all around she was here
yesterday.
Scott McLean (13:25):
Oh, really Awesome , she was here yesterday.
Shout out to Rajani, she did agreat job all around my buddy.
Johnny Schray, who he's on myboard of directors for One man.
One man, yeah, I know Johnny.
I know Johnny.
He has a video podcast that hedoes and he's using this studio
now.
Henry Angulo (13:37):
Okay, nice.
Scott McLean (13:37):
And he brought her in yesterday.
That's how it came up and shesaid to him she goes, oh, I
could train you like.
Henry Angulo (13:51):
so she showed and this wasn't prompted by anything
like she didn't know I knew you, or anything right, yeah, see,
she's, uh, she's a good, goodcandidate for that, for sure,
and she has been great, like youknow.
Uh, she took it on on on top ofall her roles that she does
normally, yep, and she took iton and said yeah, I would like
to do this.
She went through the wholeprocess, you, you know, she
attended a few classes.
We sat down, I showed her howto do it.
We went through videos andother stuff that we show Right,
(14:11):
right, and she's been reallygood at doing it, yeah, so that
information is on the website.
Yes, how to become an ambassador.
An ambassador, yeah, you can goto our website, go to our
ambassador program, reach outand, even if it's not in our
program, reach out to me.
Yeah, and I'll put.
I'll give my information at theend of this and then anyone can
reach out to me and I'll bemore than happy to connect them
and get that process started.
(14:32):
Yeah, I'm waiting for Mr Oakleyto finish his process.
He'll be listening To be anambassador as well.
I know he listens to thispodcast.
Scott McLean (14:41):
Oh, that's the Jonathan Oakley from Mission
United.
I'm sorry, Palm Beach County.
Little Freudian's clip there Ididn't mean to throw that jab at
my buddy Jonathan.
Yeah, it's a great program andI think if you're interested as
a listener, go look at it.
Go look at it.
It's a difference maker.
(15:02):
It's definitely a differencemaker.
Henry Angulo (15:04):
For sure, yeah, and we get, like I said, it's a
process for a reason.
We actually give you the toolsto go and actually do a good job
when it comes to trainingindividuals, because our goal is
for whoever is representing thefire watch to really understand
what we're doing, believe inthe mission number one,
(15:27):
understand why we're doing itand then put it out to who they
believe would be the mostbeneficial from this training,
just like we do.
You know, as directors, we wewould give it to anyone that's
interested, just like you said,said before for-profits,
non-profits, veteranorganizations, non-veteran
(15:48):
organizations, businesses,whoever cares about veterans,
whoever wants to make adifference in a veteran's life,
whoever wants to put it outthere.
We definitely do that.
Scott McLean (15:58):
Even a civilian company, because civilians
listen to this and I don't mean.
I call them civilians for lackof a better term.
It only differentiates betweenthe veteran and the civilian
world non-non-veteransnon-veterans.
Yeah, so they also can reachout to you as they have, and
they can go to the website ifthey want to get their, their
(16:19):
company, their organization ortheir business trained right,
correct?
Henry Angulo (16:24):
yes, our organization program.
It's called the Veterans SafePlace Program and we provide the
training, whether it's inperson or online, and then we
designate them what we call aVeterans Safe Place and they can
just reach out to us on thewebsite.
It only takes maybe about 45minutes to an hour,
(16:44):
training-wise.
I was just going to ask yeah,it's about 45 minutes to an hour
, training-wise.
Scott McLean (16:46):
I was just going to ask yeah, it's about 45
minutes to an hour the training.
You guys come in, or you wouldcome in if you're down here and
set up and everything's ready.
They just need to come in andsit down and just start learning
.
Exactly, it's very easy, it'sthe process.
It's okay.
Sometimes it's not easy tolisten to because the facts are
(17:07):
the facts about suicide, like.
I don't want to make this light, you know what I mean, because
it's real and you talk aboutreal scenarios, real situations,
how to deal with real people.
Correct, you know so, but Itook it and it's an amazing
training and I've already saidthis a few times.
It came in handy.
I can speak on that firsthand,you know.
Henry Angulo (17:30):
But I think it gives you a guideline to what
you can do next.
Yeah, you know like.
Okay, we talked about it.
Now where do I go from here?
Scott McLean (17:39):
That's the thing that's exactly Where's the
transition into the next step.
And then I, I swear, and to mylisteners, I wouldn't, I don't
lie, and if I did, I wouldn'twaste one on you guys.
Henry Angulo (17:51):
I love you guys.
Scott McLean (17:53):
I literally ran to that car Like I got it out of
my wallet while I was talking tomy buddy, the veteran, and I
looked at that card and itreally gave me like the veteran
and I looked at that card and itreally gave me like okay, focus
, yeah it gave me focus exactly,and that's really what you need
in that situation.
Henry Angulo (18:10):
Yeah, and to those who don't know you, we every
watch stander that takes ourtraining, whether it's online or
in person.
If you provide us a mailingaddress, you get a wallet card
yes, a plastic wallet card thathas the resources, the immediate
resource, in the front, andthen it has the the process of
the acronym of the process inthe back.
Yeah, so it can provide thatimmediate guideline as to where
(18:34):
do I go from here, because Icould tell you for me.
So I was a veteran advocate forfor a while and I was literally
on a phone line for a while,and I was literally on a phone
line, right, so I was talking toveterans that were in crisis,
talking like I have a gun in myhand.
Yeah, well, I am ready, like,tell me why I shouldn't.
Right, that, that's the holyreason why they're calling is.
(18:56):
Tell me why I shouldn't.
So, yeah, you, you, you getinvolved in it as as much as
that person is right and you areyou yourself, you get escalated
.
Scott McLean (19:08):
Yes, Feelings you might never have that much
pressure on you in your life.
Exactly, exactly, literallyLike I don't care how much
pressure, you might neverexperience that much pressure
again and thank God it's not awell, well, I don't know.
God bless you for doing that,because that cannot be an easy
job.
Henry Angulo (19:29):
That you know.
No, and god bless to the peoplethat do it every day.
Yes, you know, because it's notan easy job at all.
No at all, but the and thereason why I say that is because
even then, even after all theclasses that I've took and after
being, you know all this andpracticing and all that, when
it's actually live and it'shappening, you do, you go blank
(19:51):
and you're like, you're elevatedand you feel your heartbeat and
you're like OK, and to havethat piece of paper Exactly what
you just said.
Scott McLean (20:00):
You don't want to.
You don't want to spew that out, though you got to kind of like
let they look into you now,right.
Henry Angulo (20:07):
Yeah, because you're supposed to be the one
that's helping, right?
Yes, so having that piece ofpaper there to me, like I had it
right on my screen, you know Ihad it so I could pull it, so I
could look at it, so I was like,okay, let's go to the next step
.
Okay, now I fill this in.
Now, let that's the next step.
Yep, okay, now I fill this in.
(20:27):
Now let's go to the next step.
So it gives me a guideline andthat's exactly what we provide
to everybody.
Yeah, so you don't have to be a, an expert, you don't have to
be a clinician, you don't haveto be a therapist, you don't
have to be all of these things.
All you need to do is kind ofintervene, yeah, and connect
them, make them feel like whenyou connect them to those
therapists and those clinicians,they're actually going to get
(20:49):
help.
So that is what we're trying todo.
Scott McLean (20:52):
And then there's, in that scenario I'm not going
to say misinformation, but theindividual I was speaking to,
his wife, had come home andshe's like call 2-1-1, call
2-1-1.
And 2-1-1 serves a greatpurpose.
It really does.
Yeah, I will never disparageanybody on this podcast, anyone
that services, veterans orpeople in general.
(21:12):
They, they all have their kinks, you know, in the armor, but
you know it's still and I'm I'mlistening.
And then I went no, no, itdawned on me.
Yeah, then I said you got tocall 988.
Good, right, and then I secondguessed myself and I've told you
this story.
I'm like, wait, is it 988?
(21:34):
Literally and I'm a pretty calmguy, like I'm pretty cool under
pressure and I ran to the cardand it had more information 988,
press one, dah, dah, dah, dah.
And then it continued fromthere in the card.
So I am proof positive that theFirewatch training really works
and I highly, highly suggest ifyou're a nonprofit you know a
(21:55):
nonprofit if you're, if you're anon-veteran listening to this
podcast, reach out to theFirewatch, the Firewatch.
Henry Angulo (22:04):
Yeah, thefirewatchorgorg.
Yes, and everything is on ourwebsite.
But just to go back to to whatyou were saying with that panic
moment, yeah, I always relate itto, you know, when you're like
taking a math test in college orwhatever and you're like so
above beyond, and you're likeyou're second guessing
everything, so you're like, wait, the does one plus one equal
(22:26):
two.
Let me, let me check mycalculator, you know, yeah, so
so that's exactly.
Yeah, the pattern comes in andyou're like, hold on, is it?
Is it 98?
Hold on, let me check realquick.
Yeah, but having that thingthere where you can pull it out,
yeah, and look at it, tangible,wise yeah, now, you never, I
can say this, you're neverprepared for it.
Scott McLean (22:44):
Oh no, because you don't.
You never expect it.
Yeah right, but the differenceis, if, unfortunately, it does
happen to you as a listener, oneof the listeners out there or
all of you, at least afteryou've had this training, you
know, boom, I have a resource.
I have an instant resource toget me, kind of keep me, within
(23:08):
the guardrails of where I needto be to handle this particular
situation, and that's what wewant to do.
Henry Angulo (23:14):
Like we were saying, get people from A to B
to C, how to navigate that inbetween.
And the number one thing wewant to make our community
successful all connectors, right.
We want to have as manyconnectors in the community as
we can.
So, let's say, a veteran orreally whoever is going through
(23:36):
a crisis can reach out to any ofthose connectors and get
connected to, like I was sayingbefore, an expert, a clinician
who's going to actually helpthem out.
So that's what we want.
Scott McLean (23:48):
And that's what happened with this, with one of
the individuals he was going to.
He said I'll call in themorning.
I said, no, you're going toactually help them out.
So that's what we want.
And that's what happened withone of the individuals.
He said I'll call in themorning.
I said, no, you're going tocall now.
There you go.
Don't sleep on this.
And he believed you.
He did and he trusted youExcellent, excellent job.
And the next day he gotimmediate help.
He had just moved to Indiana.
He didn't know anybody there,he didn't know anything going
(24:16):
about the area, but they tookcare of him literally the next
day, like that, and they saidcome in in the morning.
You know he's like I'm goodright now, but they said he went
.
He went right in and I'm intouch with him quite often now
and he's doing great.
And you know it was a beautifulChristmas because he sent me a
thing saying because of you, I'mcelebrating Christmas with my
grandchildren this year.
Excellent, dude, that made mecry like a baby.
(24:37):
It's emotional, yeah it reallywas because that, you know, it
was just something, that wasjust.
You know, he was thinking aboutthat.
Henry Angulo (24:45):
Yeah Well, like I said before you get involved,
yes, in with them, you areliterally in there with them.
Yeah Well, like I said beforeyou get involved in with them,
you are literally in there withthem, and then to see them come
out on the other side you cameout of the other side with them
as well.
Scott McLean (25:05):
So you, you're there, so I received it when I
was with.
You know, I'm still with herdfoundation, I'm still a veteran,
that that you know goes thereevery Friday and I do my thing
and.
But we got the training andagain, thank you for for giving
me those tools to be able to, touse them in that situation.
Henry Angulo (25:25):
Thank you for actually implementing them and
using them.
You're welcome and and and and,yeah, doing the job that you do
.
When you had your event, youknow for, yeah, one man, one mic
, like you know, it was an ideawhen we first met, right, it was
like I'm trying to think abouthaving this thing.
And now here we are, yeah, youknow.
Yeah, it's a year later andyeah and things are working out
(25:46):
great, man.
Scott McLean (25:47):
So what's on the horizon for the firewatch?
They're looking to expand or dothey just like?
How is that?
I know you want to be national,but is it so you know what this
is?
I was talking to somebody againyesterday about wawa the yeah,
the gas station with all thefood and the whole thing, like
the amazing wawa.
And I remember when I was inthe military station with a guy
(26:10):
from South Jersey and all heranted about was Wawa.
Henry Angulo (26:13):
You know, and that's exactly from Jersey.
Yeah, yeah, so you knew aboutit.
Going down the shore, we wouldgo to Wawa and it was like this
little, you know, kind of likeone store, two stores, but only
in that South Jersey area.
Scott McLean (26:26):
And so, next thing , you know, like, there's three
going up within five miles of me, right, because they all seem
to go in clusters.
Right, they don't build justone, they're going to build
three at the same time.
Right, brilliant strategy.
But I assume that that's whatthe fire watch really wants to
do is start expanding into otherStates.
Henry Angulo (26:50):
Ideally for sure, yeah, yeah, and we've had a few
other states reach out to us,yeah, one of them being
California.
You know LA has a very heavyconcentration of veterans.
Yes, and like I said before,with that veteran population
comes an elevated suicide rate,yes, so so their suicide rate
was going up.
(27:10):
So they kind of reached out tous.
You know they like the program,they want to learn how to
implement it, you know.
But again, the number one thingis having the fun to do it.
Scott McLean (27:22):
Exactly.
You can't go out and build aWawa, you can't go build a fire
watch without the money, Exactly, yeah.
Henry Angulo (27:29):
And the number one thing I think for for us is we
want to keep it free.
Free and accessible.
We have to let it be accessibleto the community, because
there's nothing worse thansomebody being like I have the
time, but I don't have the moneyto do this.
Yes, we need to step away and,you know, as long as they give
(27:51):
us the time, we are there.
That is what we want.
So it's kind of hard toimplement, you know, when there
isn't that funding behind it.
Another one that reached out andI think this was last year and
if my director's listening, he'sgoing to say something in his
head about this but Alaska,Alaska was another one.
Wow, head about this.
(28:12):
But Alaska, Alaska was anotherone.
Yeah, yeah, there's.
They also have a high suiciderate out there and and we were
like, hey, this is what we do.
We sent them guidelines and allthis and.
But again, implementing ittakes funds and it's like who is
going to provide the funds sowe can implement this program up
here?
And the reason why I bring upmy director is because I was
like, hey, if I got to go toAlaska to start helping this out
(28:33):
, let me know and I'll be upthere for a few months or
whatever.
But again, they know the issue,they see that our program does
work.
Scott McLean (28:43):
It's working down here.
Henry Angulo (28:45):
But again, it takes funding, it takes time to
implement and hopefully thereare other organizations out
there, maybe in different states, that are listening to this,
look at our model and kind oflike what we're doing and see
that it can work in their areaas well and find a way to
(29:07):
implement it their area as welland find a way to implement it.
Scott McLean (29:10):
Or if you're an interested, maybe donor and you
want to fund for the fire watchto go up in Arizona, north
Carolina, colorado.
Henry Angulo (29:23):
Colorado.
It's an army base out there.
It has a high veteran suiciderate.
But yeah for sure you knowanyone that has the funds has
the heart to do rate.
But yeah for sure you knowanyone that has the funds has
the heart to do this.
Scott McLean (29:35):
Yeah, please reach out, because it's I mean, that
is money well invested rightthere, absolutely well invested.
What else do we have going onwith anything?
Anything for the fire watchother than that Just doing your
thing up in doing it?
Henry Angulo (29:51):
in brevard county and, like you said before, this
is a way for us to expand.
Yeah, not not to go like, allright, we're out of the south
florida area now we're focusing,and it doesn't mean that it
means we're we're expanding, youknow, keeping everything we're
doing down here, hopefullyexpanding on it.
Yeah, just like you said before, if anybody wants to become an
ambassador, yes, would be huge,so please do reach out.
(30:13):
My email is H a N G U L O atthe firewatchorg, and again,
that's H.
Or hotel, yeah, hotel alphaNovember golf uniform Lima.
Oscar, did you have to?
think about that I did.
(30:33):
I didn't have to think aboutthat.
I was like hold on, it's been awhile At thefirewatchorg and
then my phone number407-796-8089.
407-796-8089.
So if you want to be aambassador for our training,
(30:54):
please do reach out.
If you're interested in ourdata, do reach out.
If you're interested in ourwatchstander program, in our
Veterans Safe Place program, ifjust the idea looks good to you
and you're like I want to seehow I can get involved, do reach
out.
Because the one thing that Ilike to say makes a huge
difference is awareness.
(31:14):
If you're aware of what's goingon, you can help other people
around.
Yes, the awareness is numberone.
Scott McLean (31:22):
And give them money.
Henry Angulo (31:25):
Yes, we are also a 501c3.
Give them your money and we arelooking for donations, yesc3.
Give them your money and we arelooking for donations.
Scott McLean (31:31):
Yes, yes, give them your money.
If this is something that you,that you, this has just touched
you and you're like this is anamazing program and I'm vouching
for it myself, give them yourmoney.
It's the engine that runs themachine.
It's the thing no one talksabout with nonprofits.
Yes, and I've repeated this anumber of times over the last
year this podcast but I can'tstress that enough.
(31:53):
It is the engine that runs themachine.
It is what nonprofits need tosurvive, correct and do the good
work, the great work, theamazing work that all of our
nonprofits are doing.
It's all based on money.
Some need more than others.
Yes, you know, but every,literally every dollar counts.
Henry Angulo (32:12):
I can't say penny anymore.
Scott McLean (32:13):
They say every penny counts.
It doesn't, doesn't really mydollars don't make no sense.
Yeah, yeah, so yeah for sure.
Every dollar counts for them.
Henry Angulo (32:25):
So that is why we're here.
You know almost a year lateryeah, back Cause they would here
.
You know almost a year lateryeah back, was able to come back
.
Scott McLean (32:32):
Yeah, this keeps going and hopefully I'll be back
in a year.
Oh, this podcast is going.
This is not leaving the air atany time soon.
Henry Angulo (32:36):
Right, exactly, this is going to be around for a
long time yes, hopefully, andit will, it will now the last
thing I want to leave you with,yes, is we want to present a
certificate of qualification asa veteran safe place to Vets
Connection podcast.
Nice, right, so I got you,since you are such an advocate
(32:59):
number one for all vets yeah.
Number two for vets that wantto accomplish something, through
the One man, one Mic Foundationyeah, and then through this
podcast as well.
Like I said earlier, going froman idea to implementation and
all you've done huge, huge, myfriend, and thank you for what
you are doing and what you willcontinue to do it for not only
(33:24):
Palm beach community, but forthe state and for everyone out
there that's listening as well.
So, thank you.
And this small certificate, youknow it represents what you do
and hopefully it's a small thankyou from the Firewatch and
qualifies you as a veteran safeplace.
All right, yeah, it's in aframe and everything it is.
It is in a frame.
Scott McLean (33:45):
I got good treatment yeah.
Henry Angulo (33:47):
And you got a couple of stickers as well.
Scott McLean (33:48):
I love stickers.
Henry Angulo (33:49):
Veteran safe.
You got the good treatment.
Scott McLean (33:50):
Yeah, and you got a couple of stickers as well.
I love stickers.
Better and safe place yes,firewatch, I love stickers.
Yeah, yeah, this podcast, toquote the great ZZ Top I'm live
and I'm nationwide.
There you go, exactly.
Henry Angulo (33:59):
And you were talking about across the world.
Yes, two right Countries.
Yeah, different countries.
Scott McLean (34:10):
This has already been heard in like 25 countries.
Excellent, yeah, that's amazing.
There's expats, there's peoplethat just pick things up on
podcasts, exactly, and theylisten.
And that's every new listener,every new download, every new
country, every new city.
I don't know about 400 citiesso far in the United States.
That's I'm grateful and I'mhonored that they even do that.
It.
I'm honored that they even dothat.
It's just seeing this thinggrow is you know?
Well, it's again.
(34:31):
That's what I reap from it,where you and I know this is a
love fest, but it's real.
It's a good thing where you getthat feedback in other ways for
what you do.
Henry Angulo (34:43):
Yeah, exactly.
Huge platform for all.
Like you were saying,nonprofits out here, yeah, and
for us to connect, yes,literally.
Nonprofits out here, yeah, andfor us to connect, yes,
literally, let's connect.
Scott McLean (34:54):
Exactly.
All right, we're going to endit on that.
One buddy.
One more time thefirewatchorg.
Reach out to Henry and become adonor, become ambassador, yep,
and just get involved, get thetraining, get the training.
(35:15):
That's like mostly, I would sayget the training, no matter if
you're non-veteran, I'll startusing that now so I don't insult
the civilians Non-veterans yeah, taking care of that.
Henry Angulo (35:37):
10 the veterans, because that's the community
that's going to hopefully stepin and intervene and bring these
numbers down great point tosuicide revenge.
Scott McLean (35:46):
Yeah, great point.
Well, all right, listen.
Well, we built a second bridgewith the fire watch and, uh, we,
he'll be back next year too,maybe before every eight months,
I think we'll get henry back inquarterly if you want quarterly
.
If you want get updates, that'sall right with me.
That's all right with me, buddy.
Uh, you're the one making thethe drive down from brevard
(36:06):
county.
I finally got it right after anhour, but it's always a
pleasure, my friend.
I always like talking to youand you know you're doing great
work.
And with that, as I always say,listen to the end of the
episode.
There's a good public serviceannouncement, with my wife's
beautiful voice instead of mywell voice.
(36:29):
It talks about 2-1-1 and 9oneand 988, as a matter of fact,
and it's like I don't know 30seconds long.
So take a listen to it and, asusual, you will hear me next
week with a new episode.
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