By Michael Walsh
Journal Inquirer
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — It was a hot August day last year when paramedics Raquel Soto and her partner Howard Freeman were called to a parking garage in downtown Hartford.
Soto, a Newington resident who works as a paramedic for American Medical Response in West Hartford and the surrounding areas, said when they arrived, she saw a man at the top of the parking structure threatening to jump.
“My partner and I pulled up to the scene and I saw the guy,” Soto said. “I said, ‘I’m not watching this.’ I went up there to try and do anything I could in the meantime to get him down from there.”
Soto, not knowing where the elevator was, went right for the stairs, climbing all eight stories. When she got up there, she began a 30-minute conversation with the person, trying to talk him into stepping away from the ledge of the parking garage.
During the conversation, Soto learned that the man had been dealing with substance abuse issues and felt he wasn’t being taken seriously as he tried to get help.
“He was very sad,” Soto said. “He really had an ‘I give up’ look to him. He was looking for resources. He had gone to other area hospitals that were not taking him seriously. My thought was — there was other hospitals and I’ll bring you to a different one. They will take care of you. If you’re standing on the ledge of a building, this is not a joke.”
Soto said she had personally been through something tough the month before this happened, so she understood where he was coming from and couldn’t sit back and watch. Now, she is being nationally recognized in Washington, D.C. , in November for her work that day as one of Global Medical Response’s 33 “Stars of Life” recipients.
And really, this fulfills the reason why Soto became an EMT, and then later a paramedic, in the first place.
“I always knew I wanted to do something to help take care of people,” she said. “I’ve always been someone who takes care of others.”
Soto had previously worked at a mental health clinic in Hartford, where her eyes opened to the ways she could help people. Her experience as a volunteer EMT and her later training to become a paramedic further unlocked that possibility, she said.
“That’s what really got me into it,” Soto said of her experiences. “That guy really needed help. I could be that person to help them.”
Soto said that paramedics receive specific training on how to help people suffering from mental health issues, which she applied that day in Hartford. It’s all still sinking in that she’s being honored for her efforts, which she said she’s proud of.
“You learn about mental health and how to deescalate and how to talk to patients and how to work with them to not make things worse or that they get more upset,” Soto said. “It’s all worth it. I’m definitely where I’m supposed to be.”
Anyone who has thoughts of harming themselves, or seeks access to free and confidential mental health support, can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255 (en Español: 888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing dial 711 and then 988) or visit 988Lifeline.org. People in need can also text the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
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