FROM THE HEART

摘要

Unexpected and unnecessary deaths hit communities hard, especially when they involve juveniles taking their own lives. Unfortunately, suicide is all too common, an occurrence that we in emergency communications often witness first hand; and it is one that shocks communities to their core. According to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention brief released in October 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death in 2017 for persons aged 10-24, and roughly 10.6 of every 100,000 people in that age range take their own lives.' Often following this type of death we see schools and communities come together to support the students, family and friends impacted. But how can we, as behind-the-scenes members of public safety, get involved? How can we make a positive impact in the affected schools? How can we make sure that, no matter how dark it seems, students we've never met or spoken with feel the love, concern and compassion we have for them? For one center in Utah, it started with a heart attack.