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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.
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.
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