Lincolnshire Police call handler's quick thinking helped save woman's life

What started out as a normal evening answering calls from the public quickly took a turn when Contact Management Operator (CMO) Claire Kendall started speaking to a woman in distress.

Claire had been working in the Force Control Room for a year when she took the call in February.

Claire said: “The systems were down that evening, which meant things were taking longer than normal in the Control Room. The 111 Mental Health Service informed us that they had a woman on the line who was in crisis, and it was passed on to us because there was a risk to life there.

“I started to talk to her, but she wouldn’t give me her details. She said she was having a tough time at work. I kept her on the line and did my best to reassure her and to keep her calm. I also kept asking questions so we can get her details so officers can check on her and make sure she is okay.

“She eventually told me her name, and then she asked if the call was being recorded, and that’s when I sensed the conversation taking a turn. Something just didn’t feel right. So, I stayed on the line and eventually, I was able to dispatch officers to her location and they got to her just in the nick of time and managed to save her.

“As a call handler, you deal with terrible incidents sometimes. A few of them are heartbreaking, and quite distressing, but you get to help people at their worst times. Supervision is legendary when it comes to support and that helps massively in this job. It’s great to think that I really helped out there when I’ve finished my shift and I’ve gone home. I can’t imagine myself working anywhere else.”

Force Control Room Inspector Paul Mayo said: “We are all really proud of Claire. I listened to her on the call, and she was amazing. She had such a calm and understanding tone about her, and undoubtedly saved the ladies life by her quick thinking and decisive decision-making.

“This is a great example of the role that CMO’s play in helping to keep the public of Lincolnshire safe. They are not here to simply answer the phone calls. They have a really important role at the very first contact with people often in crisis. Claire should be rightly proud of her efforts.”

In this instance, the call was passed to Lincolnshire Police because of the risk to the woman involved. While some mental health related incidents may need the police, other services may be more appropriate.

In England and Wales, the Right Care, Right Person approach assesses if the police are the most appropriate service to respond. Health and social care staff have the experience and training to provide the relevant physical and mental health support.

All agencies involved aim to get the person or people involved the right help as soon as possible, to prevent further distress to the person, and to allow the police to focus resources on preventing crime, protecting life and property and keeping public order.