The VetsConnection Podcast
Join host Scott McLean, a veteran and also a passionate advocate for veterans' well-being. Each week Scott will bring you an episode that will feature insightful conversations with representatives from non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, as well as experts discussing programs within the Veterans Affairs (V.A.) aimed at assisting veterans with their needs. From discussing innovative therapies to highlighting community resources, this podcast sheds light on the myriad of ways veterans can find support and healing thru nonprofit organizations and also to connect nonprofits with each other in hopes of creating a network that will be beneficial to all.
The VetsConnection Podcast
Ep. 47 - Talking With Henry Angulo From The Fire Watch: Saving Lives, The Firewatch Approach to Veteran Suicide Prevention
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.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Scott McLean. My guest today is Henry Angulo. Henry's with the Firewatch South Florida. Right, Henry, Correct, yes, sir.
Henry Angulo:Thank you for having me.
Scott McLean:Yeah, yeah. So give us your important title, my friend.
Henry Angulo:I am the Regional Programs Director for South Florida for the Firewatch.
Scott McLean:So you're the man In South Florida for the Firewatch. So you're the man In South Florida.
Henry Angulo:In South Florida. There you go buddy.
Scott McLean:So Henry was on the podcast about eight months ago. This podcast is coming up on a year old and I think Henry was around episode six, seven or eight and it was a great episode and we decided to bring him back, like we will with other guests from the past, and get caught up on what's going on with their organizations. Now, firewatch is a 501c3 nonprofit 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, every religion, whatever it is. It's not.
Henry Angulo:Yeah, it's not exclusive, exactly, exactly, I agree the one that we like to kind of put out there suicide affects everybody. It doesn't matter if it's a veteran, 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 the motto that we go by. The one thing that stat-wise that I like to put out there is from, I want to say SAMHSA did a research on the amount of people that are affected from one suicide in the community. A research on the amount of people 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, you know. So it expands to about 135 people for every suicide. So yeah, it's not exclusive.
Henry Angulo:No it includes everybody.
Scott McLean:So, for the listeners that maybe don't want to go back to episode six, seven or eight, give us another rundown on what firewatch is, how they started and what their, what their goal is, what they're all about.
Henry Angulo:All right. So we are a veteran nonprofit composed of veterans that provide free suicide prevention training to organizations and individuals. We want to involve the community when it comes to veteran suicide prevention instead of leaving it to bigger organizations like the Department of VA or the state or anybody else. Who wanted the community to be involved. Started in 2019 in the Northeast Florida section. Started in 2019 in the Northeast Florida section, specifically Jacksonville area, so including Duval County, clay County, st John's County those five counties up there Started an organization called the Firewatch Project and the whole idea behind it was to involve the community when it comes to suicide prevention.
Henry Angulo:Since 2019, we have grown into a statewide organization, you know, not just covering that Northeast Florida area, but covering everywhere. I came into the organization in 2022 and have been focusing on South Florida because it is one of our target areas when it comes to suicide prevention, for the high number of veterans that live in this area, obviously, and along with that high number of veterans population unfortunately, comes suicide as well. So that's why we're out here doing what we do. So our main areas that were focused right now are south florida, tampa area, hillsborough, manatee county, the counties out there, and then still that duval, county, jacksonville area.
Scott McLean:So those are our three main areas so you, you were, uh, basically the south florida guy for firewatch. I could tell you personally that you did, and you're doing, an amazing job because you're one of the only people. I say this, henry, as if me and Henry are friends. By the way, henry has the I call it the Madonna effect, where he only has to be known by one name. Everybody knows Henry.
Scott McLean:I was talking to a veteran yesterday. I swear I was talking to a veteran yesterday and I said Firewatch. I was talking to a veteran yesterday and I said Firewatch, and they said oh Henry, oh, there you go. Oh, good, Good, that's, that is good. They knew you just by your first name. Yeah, there you go.
Henry Angulo:I don't know if that's you know whether they want good things or bad things.
Scott McLean:It's a good thing.
Henry Angulo:That means you're the second person to bring that up, because I was at a training a few, a few weeks ago and they were like oh, I, I'm a firewatch guy. And I was like, yes, they were like, and they took out from their pocket one of my cards. I was like see, there you go yeah that's, that's good, that's a good thing so we have that in common.
Scott McLean:I was doing, uh, an outreach, the outreach event recently for mission united, and you know my? Here's my cheap plug one man, one mike foundation. Look it up, one man, one mike foundationorg. I don't mean to steal your thunder, no, no, no, please. And uh, somebody walked up to me and they're like you're the podcast guy.
Henry Angulo:Oh see, there you go, there you go. That's exactly what they said You'd be like. That is who I am, that's exactly who I am. Help me out.
Scott McLean:That's right, not a bad thing. So what's been going on with Firewatch? What's the latest in numbers and stats?
Henry Angulo:and stats. Okay, so, as hopefully most people know, the 2022 numbers from the VA when it comes to veteran suicide came out in December 2024 because they are two years retroactive to put out the data. So the 2024 data came out at the end of last year, but it shows the 2022 numbers, if that makes sense. But for us, we just put out our Florida specific 2023 numbers when it comes to the Firewatch veteran suicide data. So that's where the fire watch data kind of differs from what the va kind of department of va anyway kind of puts out.
Henry Angulo:Yeah and but unfortunately we only focus on florida because we're a state program for now. Whoever's listening and wants to make us a national program, we're all about it, oh yeah, but uh, we're a state program for now. So, but it shows overall number of veterans. Suicides in the state did come down. It was about got it. I don't have the exact figures, I apologize. The one thing that we have to show that we are kind of promoting out there, as as the fire watch, is that this the 2023 numbers, showed a consistent 27% decrease when it came to veteran suicide in the Northeast Florida area where the Firewatch started.
Scott McLean:All right.
Henry Angulo:So since 2021, I mean since 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2023, there has been a consistent 27. Last time it was 27, but there has been a consistent over 25% decrease when it came to veterans.
Henry Angulo:Each year, each year, wow. So that is what we like to look at and say hey, you know, our program is working. Our program, what we're doing is counting. The community is accepting it and they are using it. Because that's really all the fire watch is doing just providing the connection, providing the training, providing the knowledge, the awareness. And the community is what's doing the work right. They're the ones providing the referrals, they're the ones giving the resources out to people that need it. So the 27% decrease is promising for sure.
Scott McLean:So I would also say, or add to that, that you don't just, if I watch just doesn't train veteran organizations, they also train civilian 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 that it would. Do you have any numbers on the, on the decrease in civilian, for lack of a better term suicide rate in those areas, or is it just a veteran focused number?
Henry Angulo:well, we have only veteran focused numbers. Okay, but we do compare it to the civilian numbers. Yeah, if you go to our website, thefirewatchorg, you can not only find our training there for free, but you can also look at their data. Yeah, and you can look at the state data that, like our report for 2023, that that is out there, as well as the county's data, so you will be able to go on there, click on, let's say, palm beach, and you'll be able to compare last year's numbers to this year's numbers, just in the county as well. You know, unfortunately, I don't know, that's all right now for it.
Scott McLean: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-H the Firewatch.
Henry Angulo: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 what the VA puts out, like I was saying earlier, and usually our data is pretty good at predicting what the VA is going to put out the following year or at the end of the year as well. So we can look at the Firewatch's 2023 data and it will predict what the VA is going to put out at the end of the year as well. Interesting. So we've been seeing that for the past three or four years as well.
Scott McLean:All right, yeah, interesting, although you focus down here in South Florida. We were talking before the podcast, you've. Well, you're up in Brevard County 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. I'm only kidding To the listeners beyond Palm Beach County. I'm only kidding.
Henry Angulo:Hopefully it goes beyond Palm Beach.
Scott McLean:Exactly.
Henry Angulo:So now you have a focus up there, as we were talking about, and that's because to expand statewide Unfortunately, we have now not renewed that, they haven't renewed that with us. So we have to find different angles of grants to keep this going, to keep this free for the community, to keep our programs going, and the one way that we've been able to do that is through county funding. So Brevard County has been one of the ones that are backing our mission. So they are provided us a grant so we can focus in the county and provide our training to the county organizations, help out county veterans and make more connections, just like we did, just like we have been specifically in Brevard. So, yeah, it's, it's been um and as I always say, money is the engine that runs the nonprofit machine.
Scott McLean:That is true, and if they were generous enough, then they get the attention. It's not that you're going to take attention away from other places, because I know it's just not the way the organization runs. They want to reach out as far as they can.
Henry Angulo:Exactly.
Scott McLean:Yeah, so we had this discussion. You're still going to be around South Florida. You know down around this area if you have to be, how many of you are there in the Firewatch?
Henry Angulo:We started our ambassador program, yeah, which our ambassador program would be, our volunteer program? Yeah, and we started it technically in 2023. So it's only been a year since we've established it and kept it going. Right now, I think, we have five across the state, only because it is a process, you know, not everyone can. Unfortunately, our organization isn't structured to where people can say I just want to volunteer my time and we can kind of, you know, use them as volunteers to fill in or anything like that because of what we do. Yeah, they actually have to provide the training, you know. So we have to make sure that they are and that's what we call them ambassadors Right, we have to make sure that they are and that's what we call them ambassadors right, like true representatives of what we want to do and what we want to accomplish. So we call them ambassadors. There's only five and I only have one technically in the South Florida area.
Scott McLean:And her name is Rajani. She was here yesterday. Oh really Awesome, she was here yesterday, shout out to Rajani.
Henry Angulo:She did a great job all around she was here yesterday.
Scott McLean:Oh, really Awesome, she was here yesterday. Shout out to Rajani, she did a great job all around my buddy. Johnny Schray, who he's on my board of directors for One man. One man, yeah, I know Johnny. I know Johnny. He has a video podcast that he does and he's using this studio now.
Henry Angulo:Okay, nice.
Scott McLean:And he brought her in yesterday. That's how it came up and she said to him she goes, oh, I could train you like.
Henry Angulo: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, good candidate for that, for sure, and she has been great, like you know. Uh, she took it on on on top of all her roles that she does normally, yep, and she took it on and said yeah, I would like to do this. She went through the whole process, you, you know, she attended a few classes. We sat down, I showed her how to do it. We went through videos and other stuff that we show Right, right, and she's been really good at doing it, yeah, so that information is on the website.
Henry Angulo:Yes, how to become an ambassador. An ambassador, yeah, you can go to our website, go to our ambassador program, reach out and, even if it's not in our program, reach out to me. Yeah, and I'll put. I'll give my information at the end of this and then anyone can reach out to me and I'll be more than happy to connect them and get that process started. Yeah, I'm waiting for Mr Oakley to finish his process. He'll be listening To be an ambassador as well. I know he listens to this podcast.
Scott McLean:Oh, that's the Jonathan Oakley from Mission United. I'm sorry, Palm Beach County. Little Freudian's clip there I didn't mean to throw that jab at my buddy Jonathan. Yeah, it's a great program and I think if you're interested as a listener, go look at it. Go look at it. It's a difference maker. It's definitely a difference maker.
Henry Angulo:For sure, yeah, and we get, like I said, it's a process for a reason. We actually give you the tools to go and actually do a good job when it comes to training individuals, because our goal is for whoever is representing the fire watch to really understand what we're doing, believe in the mission number one, understand why we're doing it and then put it out to who they believe would be the most beneficial from this training, just like we do. You know, as directors, we we would give it to anyone that's interested, just like you said, said before for-profits, non-profits, veteran organizations, non-veteran organizations, businesses, whoever cares about veterans, whoever wants to make a difference in a veteran's life, whoever wants to put it out there. We definitely do that.
Scott McLean:Even a civilian company, because civilians listen to this and I don't mean. I call them civilians for lack of a better term. It only differentiates between the veteran and the civilian world non-non-veterans non-veterans. Yeah, so they also can reach out to you as they have, and they can go to the website if they want to get their, their company, their organization or their business trained right, correct?
Henry Angulo:yes, our organization program. It's called the Veterans Safe Place Program and we provide the training, whether it's in person or online, and then we designate them what we call a Veterans Safe Place and they can just reach out to us on the website. It only takes maybe about 45 minutes to an hour, training-wise. I was just going to ask yeah, it's about 45 minutes to an hour, training-wise.
Scott McLean:I was just going to ask yeah, it's about 45 minutes to an hour the training. You guys come in, or you would come in if you're down here and set up and everything's ready. They just need to come in and sit down and just start learning. Exactly, it's very easy, it's the process. It's okay. Sometimes it's not easy to listen to because the facts are 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 about real scenarios, real situations, how to deal with real people. Correct, you know so, but I took it and it's an amazing training and I've already said this a few times. It came in handy. I can speak on that firsthand, you know.
Henry Angulo: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:That's the thing that's exactly Where's the transition into the next step. And then I, I swear, and to my listeners, I wouldn't, I don't lie, and if I did, I wouldn't waste one on you guys.
Henry Angulo:I love you guys.
Scott McLean:I literally ran to that car Like I got it out of my wallet while I was talking to my buddy, the veteran, and I looked at that card and it really gave me like the veteran and I looked at that card and it really gave me like okay, focus, yeah it gave me focus exactly, and that's really what you need in that situation.
Henry Angulo:Yeah, and to those who don't know you, we every watch stander that takes our training, whether it's online or in person. If you provide us a mailing address, you get a wallet card yes, a plastic wallet card that has the resources, the immediate resource, in the front, and then it has the the process of the acronym of the process in the back. Yeah, so it can provide that immediate guideline as to where do I go from here, because I could tell you for me. So I was a veteran advocate for for 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 to veterans that were in crisis, talking like I have a gun in my hand. Yeah, well, I am ready, like, tell me why I shouldn't. Right, that, that's the holy reason why they're calling is. Tell me why I shouldn't. So, yeah, you, you, you get involved in it as as much as that person is right and you are you yourself, you get escalated.
Scott McLean:Yes, Feelings you might never have that much pressure on you in your life. Exactly, exactly, literally Like I don't care how much pressure, you might never experience that much pressure again and thank God it's not a well, well, I don't know. God bless you for doing that, because that cannot be an easy job.
Henry Angulo:That you know. No, and god bless to the people that do it every day. Yes, you know, because it's not an easy job at all. No at all, but the and the reason why I say that is because even then, even after all the classes that I've took and after being, you know all this and practicing and all that, when it's actually live and it's happening, you do, you go blank and you're like, you're elevated and you feel your heartbeat and you're like OK, and to have that piece of paper Exactly what you just said.
Scott McLean: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:Yeah, because you're supposed to be the one that's helping, right? Yes, so having that piece of paper there to me, like I had it right on my screen, you know I had 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. Now let's go to the next step. So it gives me a guideline and that'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 have to be a therapist, you don't have to be all of these things. All you need to do is kind of intervene, yeah, and connect them, make them feel like when you connect them to those therapists and those clinicians, they're actually going to get help. So that is what we're trying to do.
Scott McLean:And then there's, in that scenario I'm not going to say misinformation, but the individual I was speaking to, his wife, had come home and she's like call 2-1-1, call 2-1-1. And 2-1-1 serves a great purpose. It really does. Yeah, I will never disparage anybody on this podcast, anyone that services, veterans or people in general. They, they all have their kinks, you know, in the armor, but you know it's still and I'm I'm listening. And then I went no, no, it dawned on me. Yeah, then I said you got to call 988. Good, right, and then I second guessed myself and I've told you this story. I'm like, wait, is it 988? Literally and I'm a pretty calm guy, like I'm pretty cool under pressure and I ran to the card and it had more information 988, press one, dah, dah, dah, dah. And then it continued from there in the card. So I am proof positive that the Firewatch training really works and I highly, highly suggest if you're a nonprofit you know a nonprofit if you're, if you're a non-veteran listening to this podcast, reach out to the Firewatch, the Firewatch.
Henry Angulo:Yeah, thefirewatchorgorg. Yes, and everything is on our website. But just to go back to to what you were saying with that panic moment, yeah, I always relate it to, you know, when you're like taking a math test in college or whatever and you're like so above beyond, and you're like you're second guessing everything, so you're like, wait, the does one plus one equal two. Let me, let me check my calculator, you know, yeah, so so that's exactly. Yeah, the pattern comes in and you're like, hold on, is it? Is it 98? Hold on, let me check real quick. Yeah, but having that thing there where you can pull it out, yeah, and look at it, tangible, wise yeah, now, you never, I can say this, you're never prepared for it.
Scott McLean:Oh no, because you don't. You never expect it. Yeah right, but the difference is, if, unfortunately, it does happen to you as a listener, one of the listeners out there or all of you, at least after you've had this training, you know, boom, I have a resource. I have an instant resource to get me, kind of keep me, within the guardrails of where I need to be to handle this particular situation, and that's what we want to do.
Henry Angulo:Like we were saying, get people from A to B to C, how to navigate that in between. And the number one thing we want to make our community successful all connectors, right. We want to have as many connectors in the community as we can. So, let's say, a veteran or really whoever is going through a crisis can reach out to any of those connectors and get connected to, like I was saying before, an expert, a clinician who's going to actually help them out. So that's what we want.
Scott McLean:And that's what happened with this, with one of the individuals he was going to. He said I'll call in the morning. I said, no, you're going to actually help them out. So that's what we want. And that's what happened with one of the individuals. He said I'll call in the morning. I said, no, you're going to call now. There you go.
Scott McLean:Don't sleep on this. And he believed you. He did and he trusted you Excellent, excellent job. And the next day he got immediate help. He had just moved to Indiana. He didn't know anybody there, he didn't know anything going about the area, but they took care of him literally the next day, like that, and they said come in in the morning. You know he's like I'm good right now, but they said he went. He went right in and I'm in touch with him quite often now and he's doing great. And you know it was a beautiful Christmas because he sent me a thing saying because of you, I'm celebrating Christmas with my grandchildren this year. Excellent, dude, that made me cry like a baby.
Scott McLean:It's emotional, yeah it really was because that, you know, it was just something, that was just. You know, he was thinking about that.
Henry Angulo:Yeah Well, like I said before you get involved, yes, in with them, you are literally in there with them. Yeah Well, like I said before you get involved in with them, you are literally in there with them, and then to see them come out on the other side you came out of the other side with them as well.
Scott McLean:So you, you're there, so I received it when I was with. You know, I'm still with herd foundation, I'm still a veteran, that that you know goes there every Friday and I do my thing and. But we got the training and again, thank you for for giving me those tools to be able to, to use them in that situation.
Henry Angulo: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, you know for, yeah, one man, one mic, like you know, it was an idea when we first met, right, it was like I'm trying to think about having this thing. And now here we are, yeah, you know. Yeah, it's a year later and yeah and things are working out great, man.
Scott McLean:So what's on the horizon for the firewatch? They're looking to expand or do they 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 again yesterday about wawa the yeah, the gas station with all the food and the whole thing, like the amazing wawa. And I remember when I was in the military station with a guy from South Jersey and all he ranted about was Wawa.
Henry Angulo:You know, and that's exactly from Jersey. Yeah, yeah, so you knew about it. Going down the shore, we would go to Wawa and it was like this little, you know, kind of like one store, two stores, but only in that South Jersey area.
Scott McLean: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 just one, they're going to build three at the same time. Right, brilliant strategy. But I assume that that's what the fire watch really wants to do is start expanding into other States.
Henry Angulo: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 heavy concentration 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. So they kind of reached out to us. You know they like the program, they want to learn how to implement it, you know. But again, the number one thing is having the fun to do it.
Scott McLean:Exactly. You can't go out and build a Wawa, you can't go build a fire watch without the money, Exactly, yeah.
Henry Angulo: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 accessible to the community, because there's nothing worse than somebody being like I have the time, but I don't have the money to do this. Yes, we need to step away and, you know, as long as they give us the time, we are there. That is what we want. So it's kind of hard to implement, you know, when there isn't that funding behind it.
Henry Angulo:Another one that reached out and I think this was last year and if my director's listening, he's going to say something in his head about this but Alaska, Alaska was another one. Wow, head about this. But Alaska, Alaska was another one. Yeah, yeah, there's. They also have a high suicide rate out there and and we were like, hey, this is what we do. We sent them guidelines and all this and. But again, implementing it takes funds and it's like who is going to provide the funds so we can implement this program up here? And the reason why I bring up my director is because I was like, hey, if I got to go to Alaska to start helping this out, let me know and I'll be up there for a few months or whatever. But again, they know the issue, they see that our program does work.
Scott McLean:It's working down here.
Henry Angulo:But again, it takes funding, it takes time to implement and hopefully there are other organizations out there, maybe in different states, that are listening to this, look at our model and kind of like what we're doing and see that it can work in their area as well and find a way to implement it their area as well and find a way to implement it.
Scott McLean:Or if you're an interested, maybe donor and you want to fund for the fire watch to go up in Arizona, north Carolina, colorado.
Henry Angulo:Colorado. It's an army base out there. It has a high veteran suicide rate. But yeah for sure you know anyone that has the funds has the heart to do rate. But yeah for sure you know anyone that has the funds has the heart to do this.
Scott McLean:Yeah, please reach out, because it's I mean, that is money well invested right there, absolutely well invested. What else do we have going on with anything? Anything for the fire watch other than that Just doing your thing up in doing it?
Henry Angulo:in brevard county and, like you said before, this is a way for us to expand. Yeah, not not to go like, all right, 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, you know, keeping everything we're doing down here, hopefully expanding on it. Yeah, just like you said before, if anybody wants to become an ambassador, yes, would be huge, so please do reach out. My email is H a N G U L O at the firewatchorg, and again, that's H. Or hotel, yeah, hotel alpha November golf uniform Lima. Oscar, did you have to?
Henry Angulo:think about that I did. I didn't have to think about that. I was like hold on, it's been a while At thefirewatchorg and then my phone number 407-796-8089. 407-796-8089. So if you want to be a ambassador for our training, please do reach out. If you're interested in our data, do reach out. If you're interested in our watchstander program, in our Veterans Safe Place program, if just the idea looks good to you and you're like I want to see how I can get involved, do reach out. Because the one thing that I like to say makes a huge difference is awareness. If you're aware of what's going on, you can help other people around. Yes, the awareness is number one.
Scott McLean:And give them money.
Henry Angulo:Yes, we are also a 501c3. Give them your money and we are looking for donations, yesc3. Give them your money and we are looking for donations.
Scott McLean: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 an amazing program and I'm vouching for it myself, give them your money. It's the engine that runs the machine. It's the thing no one talks about with nonprofits. Yes, and I've repeated this a number of times over the last year this podcast but I can't stress that enough. It is the engine that runs the machine. It is what nonprofits need to survive, correct and do the good work, the great work, the amazing 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:I can't say penny anymore.
Scott McLean:They say every penny counts. It doesn't, doesn't really my dollars don't make no sense. Yeah, yeah, so yeah for sure. Every dollar counts for them.
Henry Angulo:So that is why we're here. You know almost a year later yeah, back Cause they would here. You know almost a year later yeah back, was able to come back.
Scott McLean:Yeah, this keeps going and hopefully I'll be back in a year. Oh, this podcast is going. This is not leaving the air at any time soon.
Henry Angulo:Right, exactly, this is going to be around for a long time yes, hopefully, and it will, it will now the last thing I want to leave you with, yes, is we want to present a certificate of qualification as a veteran safe place to Vets Connection podcast. Nice, right, so I got you, since you are such an advocate number one for all vets yeah. Number two for vets that want to accomplish something, through the One man, one Mic Foundation yeah, and then through this podcast as well. Like I said earlier, going from an idea to implementation and all you've done huge, huge, my friend, and thank you for what you are doing and what you will continue to do it for not only Palm beach community, but for the state and for everyone out there that's listening as well. So, thank you. And this small certificate, you know it represents what you do and hopefully it's a small thank you from the Firewatch and qualifies you as a veteran safe place. All right, yeah, it's in a frame and everything it is. It is in a frame.
Scott McLean:I got good treatment yeah.
Henry Angulo:And you got a couple of stickers as well.
Scott McLean:I love stickers.
Henry Angulo:Veteran safe. You got the good treatment.
Scott McLean: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, to quote the great ZZ Top I'm live and I'm nationwide. There you go, exactly.
Henry Angulo:And you were talking about across the world. Yes, two right Countries. Yeah, different countries.
Scott McLean:This has already been heard in like 25 countries. Excellent, yeah, that's amazing. There's expats, there's people that just pick things up on podcasts, exactly, and they listen. And that's every new listener, every new download, every new country, every new city. I don't know about 400 cities so far in the United States. That's I'm grateful and I'm honored that they even do that. It. I'm honored that they even do that. It's just seeing this thing grow is you know? Well, it's again. 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 get that feedback in other ways for what you do.
Henry Angulo: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, and for us to connect, yes, literally, let's connect.
Scott McLean:Exactly. All right, we're going to end it on that. One buddy. One more time thefirewatchorg. Reach out to Henry and become a donor, become ambassador, yep, and just get involved, get the training, get the training. That's like mostly, I would say get the training, no matter if you're non-veteran, I'll start using that now so I don't insult the civilians Non-veterans yeah, taking care of that.
Henry Angulo:10 the veterans, because that's the community that's going to hopefully step in and intervene and bring these numbers down great point to suicide revenge.
Scott McLean:Yeah, great point. Well, all right, listen. Well, we built a second bridge with 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 in quarterly if you want quarterly.
Scott McLean:If you want get updates, that's all right with me. That's all right with me, buddy. Uh, you're the one making the the drive down from brevard county. I finally got it right after an hour, but it's always a pleasure, my friend. I always like talking to you and 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 service announcement, with my wife's beautiful voice instead of my well voice. It talks about 2-1-1 and 9one and 988, as a matter of fact, and it's like I don't know 30 seconds long. So take a listen to it and, as usual, you will hear me next week with a new episode.
