Kalamazoo First Responder Creates Tool That Could Save Michigan Teens Lives

It's no secret to any of us here in Michigan, the United States, and really all over the world that the suicide rates have gone up. The overall rate has gone up, but the most concerning demographic is teenagers as their world continues to change and the suicide rate continues to climb with no halt in the foreseeable future. Although we can say life shouldn't be hard for them, we didn't experience the world like they do now.

Honestly, being a teenager now is harder than it has ever been as social media has completely changed the world. Yes, while things are more progressive, everything is recorded or shared on the internet which leaves no privacy. Also, everyone is putting on a show and creating an illusion of what they have, which in turn puts pressure on young kids to achieve more. It's a cycle that could be talked about forever but one first responder in Kalamazoo is deciding to do something about it instead as he's looking to prevent suicide and save lives.

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Clay Frey, the head of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office Department's victim services unit, says that the suicide numbers are staggering, and he couldn't sit around and watch our country be impacted this way. He also says that you can't ever really get over the pain that suicide leaves behind especially the cases involving k-12 students which he has experience with.

Frey was appalled at the lack of emergency personnel and counselors available to students after a tragic event takes place or they try to commit suicide. This pushed him to create what he calls "Relay 12", which will be similar to an amber alert but will be for a teen who may be contemplating taking their own life. The button allows for a student to report themselves or someone else who may be thinking of or already harming themselves.

After a student uses Relay 12, the principal, counselors, social workers, and district attorney will all be notified right away and will be able to take the necessary steps to intervene. Comstock has already started using Relay 12 and has seen a positive impact as the Superintendent Jeffrey Thoenes had this to say:

We have had a situation already where we had a student in distress," Thoenes said. "It ended being handled quickly and effectively through this system. We are immediately notified if there’s a concern. Theirs isn’t a lag or a delay.

So, at least one life has already been saved by Relay 12 and many more can be saved over the coming years. There are other schools in West Michigan that have either already subscribed or plan to subscribe to the Relay 12 service for the 2024-2025 school year.