Crisis line phones added to Alex Fraser Bridge as lifeline of support

Six crisis line phones are now operational along the Alex Fraser Bridge, designed to be a lifeline offering support and intervention to those who find themselves in crisis on the bridge.

The bright yellow phone boxes, two at either end of the bridge and two in the middle, connect the caller to either the Fraser Health Crisis Line or the Vancouver Distress Line.

The phones come as the Delta Police Department have been responding to increased numbers of incidents on the bridge. There were approximately 30 incidents on the bridge in the last five years, said police chief Neil Dubord, but numbers have spiked recently.

• B.C. promises suicide barrier on major Vancouver bridge
• Vancouver councillor wants new Burrard Bridge suicide barriers scrapped

"Just to give you an idea of how this has been heightened over the course of the last six months, in 2017, we've responded to 15 separate instances on the Alex Fraser Bridge," he told CBC host of On The Coast Stephen Quinn.

The crisis phones were activated in October and Dubord said he is confident they are already making a difference. Last week, he said, someone picked up the phone and police were able to respond in time.

Mental health services

Dubord said the phones do not replace other mental health services but rather act as one more preventative measure.

"Overall, it provides another layer of defense," he said. "We know these are complex issues when people are facing mental health issues and in crisis."

One in five Canadians will face a mental health issue and suicide is one of the leading causes of death for both men and women from adolescence to middle age, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

"Our real effort comes through our mental health officer and trying to get in front of these issues and actually trying to prevent them prior to someone getting to the bridge," Dubord said.

• Ask your children how they are doing, urges suicide prevention expert
• 'There was no help': Vancouver Island mother calls for national anti-suicide plan

Suicide-prevention measures are located on other bridges around the Lower Mainland, including physical barriers on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and the Burrard Bridge.

Barriers were not an option on the Alex Fraser Bridge, said Dubord, because the bridge could not withstand the additional wind load.

Dubord said anyone witnessing or experiencing a crisis on the bridge should dial 911.

If you or someone you know needs help, there is also a province-wide crisis line to call. The number is 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433).

With files from On The Coast.