Trending Topics

N.D. dispatchers to transfer some 911 calls to crisis hotline

A partnership between State Radio and 988 will allow dispatchers to connect a 911 caller with a trained counselor

NDDepartmentofEmergencyServices.jpg

A North Dakota public safety telecommunicator.

North Dakota Department of Emergency Services/Facebook

The Bismarck Tribune

BISMARK, N.D. — Some 911 calls made across North Dakota, including in Bismarck, for distressed callers who are not a threat now can be transferred to a crisis hotline.

Before the partnership between State Radio and 988, an ambulance or officer would be dispatched to distressed callers, and the callers would be encouraged to call 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that provides trained crisis counselors to listen, give support and supply resources.


RAND report finds 911 and 988 mental health hotline require coordination from law enforcement, mental health specialists and others to promote interoperability

The change will see public safety telecommunicators request permission to transfer calls, and before doing so they could brief the 988 staff member on the matter, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

“It takes a lot of courage for them to reach out. We don’t want to risk losing the caller on the line,” Miranda Jangula with State Radio said. “And an ambulance or an officer is not always needed in these situations; sometimes people just want to talk.”

Other dispatch centers that have the ability to transfer 911 to 988 include Fargo Red River Dispatch, Grand Forks County Dispatch and Barnes County Dispatch. The integration between State Radio and 988 impacts all 26 counties that State Radio serves, which can be found online.

(c)2024 The Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, N.D.)
Visit The Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, N.D.) at www.bismarcktribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
Authorities say a man set a wildfire and ambushed firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, killing two and critically injuring another before being found dead
Nearly 60% of leaders cited documentation as a critical concern impacting billing, compliance and patient care, according to a report by the PWW Advisory Group and AIMHI
San Francisco firefighters rescued a young man who fell from a 13-story building onto an awning
Rock Hill first responders teamed up with the community to collect enough cereal for tens of thousands of servings during the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive