Kevin Briggs: The bridge between suicide and life
凯文·布里格斯: 自杀者的生死之桥
As a member of the California Highway Patrol with assignments including patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, Sergeant Kevin Briggs and his staff are the last barriers between would-be suicides and the plunge to near-certain death. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
in charge of building the bridge,
way through these calls.
them and ask the question.
be the turning point for them.
the bridge this weekend.
General Hospital that evening,
I've encountered on the job.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kevin Briggs - Golden Gate guardianAs a member of the California Highway Patrol with assignments including patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, Sergeant Kevin Briggs and his staff are the last barriers between would-be suicides and the plunge to near-certain death.
Why you should listen
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic landmark of unparalleled beauty and attracts swarms of visitors every year. Tragically, also among them are hundreds of suicidal men and women.
As a member of the CHP for over twenty-three years, with the majority of those years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, Sgt. Briggs discovered early that his job required him to take on an unusual role for a police officer: suicide prevention counselor. As a cancer survivor and survivor of multiple heart operations, Briggs’ familiarity with personal struggle bonds him with suicidal men and women. With simple empathy, an instinct for improvisation and a refusal to walk away, Briggs has negotiated several hundred people from suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge. As he told the SF Chronicle, "I've talked to people from ten minutes to seven hours. I very much despise losing. I do whatever I can to get that person back over the rail. I play to win." Sgt. Briggs retired from the CHP in November 2013.
Kevin also has a book, Guardian of the Golden Gate , about his experiences.
Kevin Briggs | Speaker | TED.com