A Year of Success with Protocol 41: How Four Centers Are Using It to Promote Compassion, Connection, and Change

One year ago, we developed Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1st Party Only) as one more tool in the belt of our first, first responders, Emergency Dispatchers, to help them better help suicidal and at-risk callers. This protocol gives Emergency Communication Centers a structured, compassionate framework to support first-party callers experiencing suicidal ideation or mental health emergencies and it’s already transforming lives. Here are four powerful stories from centers in Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Indiana that show how Protocol 41 is making a difference and how it can make a difference for your agency.

Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch

Brandon Miller, Executive Director of Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch (IVRD), has seen firsthand how using Protocol 41 empowers Emergency Dispatchers to respond with confidence and compassion.

“It’s really important for us to have the tools we need in the dispatcher toolbox to assist callers through a crisis until we can either pass them off to 988 or get responders on the scene.”

Miller’s center was one of the first in Illinois to pilot Protocol 41, in compliance with the state’s Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA). He emphasized that the protocol isn’t just about transferring calls, it’s about equipping Emergency Dispatchers to guide callers through their darkest moments. That’s a big ask, but the Emotional Control Tool within Protocol 41 provides a trusted framework that helps Emergency Dispatchers recognize up to 20 different emotional states a suicidal caller might be experiencing. Once identified, it then provides specific and tailored approaches to help the Emergency Dispatcher use the right language to establish trust and connection with the caller and respond with empathy and clarity. 

“Even if you have no plans to transfer calls to 988, there’s extreme value in the ability for dispatchers to talk people through a crisis. The Emotional Control Tool is one of the most impactful things I’ve seen in the protocols in my 28 years.”

Allina Health Emergency Medical Services

Jonathan Flynn, Training and Compliance Specialist at Allina Health EMS, describes Protocol 41 as a game-changer for mental health crisis calls and he was among the first to use the LifeBridges protocol, whose creator worked with the IAED in the creation of Protocol 41. He recalls a pivotal moment when a caller with a shotgun said he was going to kill himself. Thanks to his training, Flynn was able to de-escalate the situation and guide the caller to safety, but not all Emergency Dispatchers, especially newer ones, have the experience or training to do so.

“Having a protocolized version makes it easier to navigate. You’re spinning fewer plates and focusing on your patient … It's about giving your Emergency Dispatchers the tools and the ability for them to talk people through a crisis until the responders arrive.”

Flynn talks about how calls with a suicidal person are different from other 911 calls like those involving cardiac arrest, where something has already happened to the patient. 

“With a caller in a mental health crisis, Emergency Dispatchers have an immediate impact and the immediate ability to impact that call—this is as close as they get to actually treating a patient.” 

Flynn said Allina Health’s implementation of Protocol 41 has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“By having this Protocol, you have given your telecommunicators a tool to alleviate somebody else’s trauma, to alleviate somebody else’s PTSD, to immediately intervene, and when they’re in their darkest place to literally give them hope, give them a way forward.”

North Adams Police Department

MaryAnn King, a veteran dispatcher since 1998 and training coordinator with the North Adams Police Department, has taken countless crisis calls over her career and she knows the emotional toll these tough calls can have on the Emergency Dispatcher as well as the caller. She credits Protocol 41 and its specialized training with helping her and her team ask the right questions at the right time to help manage the emotional toll of these interactions.

“There were things in that course I never thought of asking or how to phrase. It’s helped me be more confident in talking to the person—and it’s taken some stress away from me.”

With suicide calls at epidemic highs, MaryAnn is glad her Emergency Dispatchers have access to Protocol 41 and its unique training. 

“I think everyone needs it, I really do. Especially the new people coming in, they're younger, they probably haven't dealt with anything like this before, and I just find that it's going to be a very big help for them.”

Hendricks County Communications Center

Meghan Monaco, Quality Assurance Manager, shared how just after one year, Protocol 41 is working well for their Emergency Dispatchers and has already led to multiple confirmed saves in her community of Plainfield, Indiana.

“[With Protocol 41] we can stay on the line and discuss more meaningful topics. There is more fluidity in how we address the patient and reassure them that we are listening to what they are saying. We have more tools to address each potential emotional state the caller could be experiencing.”
Her team has also received praise from their law enforcement partners, including commendations for successful interventions.

“Protocol 41 has made a direct impact—and we’ve had three confirmed saves because of it.”

Protocol 41 is more than a set of instructions, though, it’s a lifeline for Emergency Dispatchers and Suicidal callers alike. It gives Emergency Dispatchers the tools to connect with, de-escalate, and guide suicidal callers toward safety and hope. And it gives them the tools to help themselves deal with the high stress levels and burnout of the job.  

Miller said it best when he said, “This is just one of those tools that dispatchers should have in place to make a positive impact on the community.”
With hundreds of agencies and thousands of dispatchers now trained, Protocol 41 is setting a new standard for how we respond to mental health emergencies—one call, one life, and one connection at a time.