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20 first responders graduate in ASIST
Twenty first responders from the Department of Fire and Emergency Management Services and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting participated and graduated from the applied suicide intervention skills training headed by the Community Guidance Center. (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)
Twenty participants graduated from the applied suicide intervention skills training, or ASIST, headed by the Community Guidance Center.
A two-day training was opened to first responders from the Department of Fire and Emergency Management Services and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting unit of the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport.
“Suicide is a growing concern here in the CNMI,” CGC prevention specialist Joanna Abraham said.
From May 2014 to May 2015, eight cases of suicide were reported in the Commonwealth.
“There could be more than that. Suicide is still a very sensitive topic with the different cultures that we have,” Abraham said.
“A lot of them aren’t really recorded as suicide,” prevention services manager Tiara Evangelista added.
Abraham said CGC wants to make sure that the first responders in the community are trained on what to do in these situations. They will also continue opening up the training on other partner agencies and members of the public that wants to be involved.
She added that those who have suicidal thoughts or tendencies can be helped.
“A lot of times, the victims feel like there is no one to reach out to,” Abraham said, “What we’re trying to teach the different groups that we’ve reached out so far is that it is something that needs to be addressed and it’s a huge concern and it’s something that we can be able to help stop in our community or at least prevent.”
As part of the training, the participants learn how to do interventions on people who are having these thoughts. Aside from lectures, the participants undergo scenarios and learn how to approach and talk to victims.
“These guys, they know their roles now. And if they can notice the sign and all that, they can step in and assist. If not, they can also point them in the right direction,” Abraham said.
“ASIST is, you can apply it professionally or on your own. You can apply it to your friends or family,” prevention services social marketing officer Maria Kileleman said.
Interested individuals who want to be part of the training can email cgcprevention@gmail.com.
