Interview with Kevin Briggs, Former Patrolman on the Golden Gate Bridge
The bridge has become infamous for it’s ties to suicide, and Kevin has become somewhat famous for his work in helping to prevent suicides.
The interview is a very interesting look into his work then, and the work he continues to do now that he is no longer a patrolman.
I’d encourage you to read it, but if you do nothing else, remember this:
When I asked Kevin how it was he knew what to do, he didn’t describe a thought process to me. Instead, he referred to something much more personal. He said that when he would confront a person who was close to jumping from the bridge, he would look into their eyes, and what he saw was pain. He knew he didn’t want to increase the pain. He didn’t want to lecture the person or scare them. Instead, he recognized that what a suicidal person needed most in that moment, was for someone to care.
