Dispatchers Was Lifeline for Suicidal Man

A suicidal man in Mason City (Iowa) man had the courage to re-tell how he ran out of medication and dialed 911 as he sat in his basement with a shotgun. Gene Small has suffered from bipolar disorder for 40 years. Last month he was lucky to hear Mason City police dispatcher Denise Largent on the other end of the phone, and she talked to him on-and-off for three hours, while a SWAT team surrounded Small’s house. Largent, a 12-year veteran, told a reporter, “It was scary at times. I just tried to tell him there’s always an answer for everything, that there are people who will help him.” She also credited the other members of the law enforcement team for the successful resolution. Small eventually put down the shotgun and came out. “I know it’s kind of like an old song but people need to realize that mental illness is a disease,” Small said.”If it wasn’t for Denise, Sgt. Wernet and Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t be here today. You would have written my obituary.” Read the full story here.