Celeste, Police Communicator

I guess the biggest surprise for me was the number of times calls have a mental health component. I was nervous when I spoke to my first suicidal person. You learn all the policies and procedures, but how do you fill the silence while you wait on the line with the caller until emergency responders arrive? What if I say the wrong thing? Now I’m more comfortable with these calls. Usually, it’s a friend or family member making the call. I tell them, you made the right choice, calling for help. Sometimes people are upset. I don’t take it personally. I remind myself, this person could be having the worst day of their life, and I’m there to help them through it. 

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