Connecting with Those in Need

Author: Aaron Hains, Technical Rescue Team, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services

In the fall of 2019, a few members of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services’ Technical Rescue Team (TRT), including myself, were given the opportunity to take Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) - a two day, interactive workshop for suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants how to recognize when someone might be considering suicide, how to create a plan to support their immediate safety and how to link them to resources. Very soon after taking this training I responded to a call in which these skills turned out to be lifesaving. 

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) responder on scene was not having much success engaging the at-risk individual, so I initiated conversation with the individual, trying to find a reason for him to stay with us. I learned that he had a daughter and each time he mentioned her he gave a visual cue that he was holding on for her. I spoke with him for five to 10 minutes, providing enough time for an EPS negotiator to take over and successfully bring him back to safety. His daughter was the key conversation piece that gave him reason to live that day. In the course we participated in, a key takeaway I heard was that everyone has a reason to live. In this situation, it was a father-daughter relationship; however the next situation will most likely be a different connection. It’s about finding that connection, that reason, that can help save a life.

While we may not always be as successful as we were that day in helping that individual remember what he was living for, the opportunity to help fight for a positive outcome in these moments of crisis is a privilege I do not take lightly. If you see someone in immediate danger, please call 911. 

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services Technical Rescue Team involves a range of responses including, but not limited to, High Angle Rescue, Structure Collapse, Trench Rescue, Confined Space, and assisting EPS with suicide negotiation. TRT frequently assists negotiators by creating fall restraint on bridge decks or on top of buildings during tense situations where someone is considering taking their life. These moments are incredibly personal and require the utmost care and caution.