>>TARIK MINOR: NOW TO OPERATION FIRE WATCHING HOW YOU CAN STEP IN TO HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF A
MILITARY VETERAN A LOCAL
CHARITY IS SIGNING UP PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW TO TRAIN THEM TO SPOT
WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE AND
HOW TO RESPOND
NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER VIC
MICOLUCCI JOINS US FROM TPC
SAWGRASS WHERE THE PLAYERS IS
LOCATED AND HIGHLIGHTING THE
CHARITY. THIS WEEK AS THEY
HONOR THE MILITARY, VIC.
♪
>> JUDY SENT ARE NORMALLY WE SEE THE PLAYERS HOST, A HUGE MILITARY APPRECIATION CONCERT.
THERE’S LOTS OF FESTIVITIES
THAT’S NOT HAPPENING THIS YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC BUT THEY ARE STILL
HIGHLIGHTING THE AMAZING
VETERAN CENTERED CHARITIES
RIGHT HERE IN OUR AREA,
INCLUDING ONE WHICH AIMS TO
SAVE LIVES AND IT’S BASED ON A
VERY SPECIAL BOND FROM 2
FRIENDS. RIGHT HERE
♪
IN JACKSONVILLE.
>> CHRIS DEMPSEY’S DARKEST
HOURS STARTING HADN’T EATEN IN
DAYS JUST REALLY READY TO
GIVE UP.
>> LITERALLY PRAYING FOR DEATH.
♪
>> HOMELESS AND ALONE IN THE WOODS, $0.35 IN HIS BANK ACCOUNT.
>> 3 IN THE MORNING, LOADED GUN
IN MY MOUTH. PULL
THE TRIGGER.
>> AND THOSE
I THINK THE ONLY REASON I
DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO IT BECAUSE
MY KIDS.
>> AN
ARMY VETERAN AND ONE OF THE
DEPARTMENT
♪
DEPARTMENT ♪ OF JUSTICE’S TOP PROSECUTORS
DEMPSEY LOST IT ALL.
BECAUSE OF TRAUMA FROM HIS TIME
SERVING IN AFGHANISTAN. YOU
WERE A LAWYER, CORRECT AND YOU
ARE HOMELESS. YES, YOU DON’T
HEAR THAT OFTEN.
>> I KNOW I KNOW WELL I I HAD
GONE TO A LOT OF
TREATMENT I.
>> 100% TOTALLY AND PERMANENTLY
DISABLED FOR COMBAT PTSD AND
EVERYTHING THAT GOES UNDER THAT
UMBRELLA AND ANXIETY DISORDER
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
CHRONIC INSOMNIA
SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
>> BUT THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY
ENDING THANKS TO SOME GOOD
SAMARITANS LIKE JACKSONVILLE
LAWYER DANIEL BEING.
>> I THOUGHT THAT NUMBER WITH
SOME HELP. YOU KNOW JUST
BEING
SOME GUARDRAILS. THAT WE COULD
GET HIM BACK TO WHERE HE WAS
BEING WHO’S A RETIRED NAVY
CAPTAIN MATT DEMPSEY IN 2018 AT
THE 5 STAR
VETERANS CENTER. IT’S A LOCAL
CHARITY THAT GETS US SERVICE
MEMBERS BACK ON THEIR FEET AND
BOY DID DEMPSEY BOUNCE BACK.
WITH COUNSELING AND REHAB PLUS
BEING AS A FRIEND AND MENTOR.
DEMPSEY REBOUNDED HE GOT A JOB
AT BEANS FROM HE PASSED THE
FLORIDA BAR AND MARRIED THE
LOVE OF HIS LIFE. SOME WOULD
SAY THAT VETERANS SUFFERING
FROM PTSD HAVING SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS IS A LIABILITY.
YEAH, NO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
SOME. TENSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU
WALK IN AND. BUT I THINK THE
RISK WAS
WORTH IT. THIS RELATIONSHIP HAS
GONE WAY BEYOND 2 FRIENDS.
IT’S NOW THE MODEL FOR THE
FIRE WATCH A CHARITY IN 5
NORTHEAST FLORIDA COUNTIES, THE
PROBLEMS AWFUL.
>> THE STATISTICS WILL REALLY
SHAKE YOU. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NICK ALLEN
TELLS US IT COMES OUT TO ABOUT
22 SUICIDES PER DAY NATIONWIDE
ON AVERAGE A VETERAN TAKES
THEIR LIFE IN NORTHEAST
FLORIDA. EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
♪
FIREWATCH IS BUILDING A NETWORK OF SO-CALLED WATCHSTANDERS VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE TRAINED TO
IDENTIFY THE WARNING SIGNS AND
STEP IN OUR PROGRAMS A LITTLE
BIT LIKE HIM MENTAL HEALTH CPR
SO TO SPEAK WHAT WE WANT YOU TO
DO IS BE ABLE TO BE AWARE OF
THE ISSUES IDENTIFY EARLY WHEN THERE’S A VETERAN CRISIS AND GET BETTER AND HELP THEY NEED
SO WE NEED YOU OUT THERE
AMONG THEM. THE VETERAN IT’S
ALREADY PROMISING SINCE IT
STARTED LAST MAY 450 PEOPLE
HAVE SIGNED UP TO
BE WATCHSTANDERS IT’S A LONG
WAY FROM THE GOAL OF 10,000 BY
2021. BUT THE PLAYERS
IS HELPING. PLAYERS AND
♪
PGA TOUR.
>> AND DONATE 25,000 TO YOUR
CHAIR.
>> LAST YEAR THE ICONIC TOURNAMENTS HONOR DEMPSEY AT MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY.
THIS YEAR, THEY’RE MATCHING
DONATIONS MADE TOWARD FIREWATCH
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR TO THIS DAY
THERE ARE UPS IS A GENTLEMAN.
>> AS A MATTER OF FACT I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME JUST LAST WEEKEND. AND
DAMAGE THERE.
>> BENIN DEMPSEY HOPE THEY CAN
CONTINUE TO INSPIRE. HE SEES
MY HERO.
>> BECAUSE A LITTLE HELP.
IT WAS A LONG.
>> TRULY AN INCREDIBLE BOND THEY ARE LIVING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY HOPE TO INSPIRE OTHERS
THROUGH THIS STORY THAT’S WHY
THEY WERE SO OPEN ABOUT
THEIR JOURNEY. SO IF YOU WANT
TO GET INVOLVED AND BE A WATCH
STANDARD YOU CAN DO THAT
RIGHT NOW GO TO THE FIRE WATCH
DOT ORG THERE YOU CAN CLICK THE
WATCH STANDER TAB. YOU CAN
SIGN UP AND THEN IT’S A 45
MINUTE COURSE IT REALLY DOES
NOT TAKE A LONG TIME YOU JUST
NEED ABOUT AN HOUR FROM START
TO FINISH TO BE ABLE TO SIT
DOWN. DO A LITTLE BIT OF
RESEARCH AND BECOME
A WATCH STANDER AND POTENTIALLY
SAVE A LIFE NOW IF YOU ARE A
VETERAN WHO WANTS RESOURCES ARE
POTENTIALLY NEED SOME HELP.
YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER ON THE
SAME WEB SITE THE FIRE WATCH
DOT ORG. THAT WAY YOU CAN SIGN
UP YOU CAN FIND BODIES NEAR YOU
AND GET THOSE RESOURCES THAT
YOU MIGHT NEED.
WE’RE LIVE AT TPC SAWGRASS ON
VIC MICOLUCCI CHANNEL 4 THE
LOCAL STATION.
♪
>>JOY PURDY: VICKY WENT THROUGH THIS COURSE FOR THE STORY AND NOW YOU’RE OFFICIALLY A WATCH
STANDER WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.
WELL FIRST OF ALL IT’S
EMPOWERING BECAUSE YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU HAVE A WHOLE NEW
TOOL KIT WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO
SO BEING
ABLE TO WATCH STANDER IS REALLY
SOMEBODY THAT CAN KEEP AN
EYE OUT FOR ANY RED FLAGS, ANY
WARNING SIGNS OF SOMEBODY WHO
MIGHT BE IN CRISIS.
AND WHILE IT SPECIFICALLY FOR
VETERANS WITH THIS CHARITY.
IT REALLY CAN HELP
ANY PERSON. AGAIN IT IS
ABSOLUTELY FREE IT ONLY TOOK
ABOUT 45 MINUTES YOU LEARN
ABOUT HOW THE MILITARY WORKS.
YOU LEARN THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
TO ASK
AND FINALLY THE RESOURCES THAT
ARE AVAILABLE 24 7 TO THESE
VETERANS AS WELL AS OTHER
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE
IN CRISIS.
>> AND AGAIN THAT THE COMMITTEE
LIVE FROM TPC THANK YOU, VIC
AND FOLKS IF YOU WANT TO HELP
THEIR LOCAL MILITARY CHARITY
LIKE FIRE WATCH. YOU CAN DONATE
NOW WITH WHAT’S CALLED MATCH
FOR MILITARY. THE PLAYERS
WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION AT
MAKING THE MONEY THAT YOU GIVE
GO FARTHER TO HELP MORE OF OUR
HEROES WHO HAVE SERVED