Six Notebooks

Yesterday

            Yesterday

                        Yesterday

At work,

            Yesterday

We had a customer call threatening to end his life (I manage in a major call center). A message came through Teams from a trainer that a new employee had a customer on the phone that was threatening to end his life. We have a procedure for that.

I messaged the trainer to have the trainee keep the customer on the phone while I called 911. I got our local 911 who, after some searching for the correct number, got me to Seattle 911 (no, they cant just call 911, they have to find the number that patches them into that service).

The 911 had some questions. I relayed them through Teams to the trainer to the trainee who relayed the answers back to me.

We got his address.

Had he hurt himself? Yes, he was banging his head against a wall. There was blood.

Did he have a plan? Yes, pills.

Did he have a weapon? We didn’t think so.

Did he have a car? He was hoping to buy one.

Was there anyone ese there? No.

Through Teams, I kept track of how the trainee was doing. Encouraging, thanking asking her to keep talking, to keep the customer talking, to give us some time to get someone there.

They started talking about cats. Cats can save a life.

The paramedics and police got there. She could hear them at the door. The customer didn’t want to answer the door. He didn’t know who was there. I could hear the emergency services identifying themselves and asking to open the door.

The caller finally said, “I am going to put some clothes on”

And hung up.

I will never know. The trainee and the trainer will never know.

What happened next.

But they did the best work possible. They provided the greatest service they could. They kept someone alive. They gave someone a chance.

We will never know what happens next. But in that moment, they did the next right thing. Again and again.

I thanked them from the bottom of my heart. From the depths of my being.

Then I took a walk and cried.

Tears are still coming down my face this morning.

I have stood on that edge between life and death.

I have made that call.

I have been rescued

By someone who did the next right thing.

We keep keeping on

Carrying each other

Peace

Be well