Getting help quickly can make the difference during a mental health crisis. Emergency workers are responding to the need.
INDIANAPOLIS — When you dial 911, you may be used to hearing “what’s your location?” But now in Marion County, there’s a new question for emergencies:
“Is this a police, fire, mental health or EMS emergency?”
“This helps people when they are going through tough situations, and it also helps us to ask the proper questions to be able to help them and assist them with what they are needing,” Paulette Rizomendoza said.
Rizomendoza says she takes mental health calls almost daily, and the response requires extra attention.
“The lives of people are basically depending on us at that moment,” Rizomendoza said.
The push from her and other dispatchers is to de-escalate situations before resorting to call in law enforcement.
“If we can avoid sending police officers to a run that’s …