Fire service plea after spate of 'distress' calls

Tommy Richardson, the mental health lead at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) made the plea as part of World Mental Health Day – October 10.

Firefighters are among the first on the svcene to reports of people in crisis on bridges or cliff edges.

TWFRS have revealed they have been called to 117 incidents of people in distress across the region and are calling on people to look out for friends, family and neighbours.

He said: “Over the past year many of us have struggled with the challenges of lockdown and social isolation but it’s important to remember you are never alone.

“We have had more than a hundred call outs to people who were in distress in just six months and that shows the scale of the issue.”

“World Mental Health Day is a great vehicle to raise awareness of some of the struggles that some people in our communities are going through.”

He added: “But this is something we need to be doing every day as a society so I would ask people to please do check in on your friends, family and neighbours to see if they are OK.

“We will continue to work in collaboration with our partners and, if people do need our help in a crisis, we will be there to try and keep you safe.”