It has been a really long time since I last posted a blog, and I am not even sure anyone ever reads these. I know I mention that quite often.
This was week is a little shorter than normal. I had taken an extra day off over the weekend and enjoyed my day off.
My shift Monday was rather usual, nothing significant.
Tuesday on the other hand was a fiery mess. One of the agencies was out on a traffic stop and requested additional assistance, and then changed their mind and said they no longer needed help. They then again requested help but only for transporting the suspects to the jail. It was during this time a 911 call came in where as it was answered someone says "You are going to jail" and then the phone disconnects. I call back and a woman answers and said it was accidental. I go through the normal questions trying to establish whom I was speaking with at this point the person on the other end decides to hang up. I relay this to the responsible agency and they respond to handle it. They are just clearing that when I get another call in the opposite direction reporting a domestic disturbance.
This was a little different than the normal call, the caller reports he and the woman were "hanging out" at her house when her ex-husband showed up with the kids. This is nearly midnight which would be an odd time to bring kids back. I get the officers responding, it all is resolved about an hour later.
I received a 911 call around 2 AM from a male who starts out with he doesn't know where he is, and he is feeling like he doesn't want to live. I go through the normal process. I am asking if he has weapons, if has already harmed himself, what his intentions are. We talk for a few minutes and I get him talking as I quietly mute the phone and relay to law enforcement where his call is showing on the map and what he has told me. I maintain the line of communication listening and actively trying to interject helpful comments and questions. I ask about what brought him to this position and has he sought help before. He proceeds to tell me he has always felt like he has not been worth anything since he was a kid. He tells me he has nothing to live for, and that he has been to a hospital before for help, but he was addicted to drugs and wanted to get out to use, and so he got out and went to using drugs. He now feels as though he needs to be sent to a facility where he will be able to talk with someone daily about his issues, and discusses how he is no longer using drugs. I assure him we have him help coming. The officers arrived and were able to assist him and transport him to the hospital to seek treatment. This call was eerie from the start and I almost thought this guy was going to do it.
I have taken a handful of suicidal caller calls in my many years but only a few actually stick out. The ones who have already harmed their self, or the ones who pretty much challenged me to tell them why they should not do it.