Ernest Davies Award winner Preventing trauma and tragedy A shortened version of the winning entry for the Ernest Davies Award 2021 by Rod Williamson, city services team leader, City of Lincoln Council here is no lower point in parking management than experiencing a suicide incident from a multi-storey car park (MSCP). It leaves you and your team very low. The tragedy is, of course, absolutely devastating for the individual and their family and friends. It also affects the parking staff and emergency services involved in the incident. The ripples of trauma and hurt spread far and wide. Suicide from heights has always been a problem wherever there are accessible high buildings. Where I live and work, there have been three sites commonly used; of these three, two are MSCPs under my stewardship. (The third was a bridge that has subsequently had major engineering additions to prevent potential jump positions.) Action we have taken to date has included making sure there was funding to put as many anti-climb barriers as needed in place on the top of the car parks. We have also worked closely with a senior police negotiator who has delivered advice briefings for our parking staff, including giving us an insight into how the situation develops in the first place. He describes the mindset for those in severe personal crisis who wish to seek oblivion is to go to a known suicide venue, such as the top of a MSCP. He also stated that research evidence indicates that individuals may have made several visits to the location before finally embarking on a fateful decision. His role as a negotiator is to try to make a rapid connection with the individual, by getting them to respond. The approach taken is gentle but with a clear objective of getting them out of immediate harms way. Parking staff are recommended to politely challenge anyone who appears to be near the outer edges at the higher levels. Anything that can break the individuals dangerous train of thought can make a difference. Continued vigilance on patrol and an eye on peoples movements through the car park can aid early intervention. If the staff find someone on a high ledge, the advice is to keep a respectful distance and, while discreetly contacting the emergency services, to try to have a calm conversation with them. Never try to grab the individual: it may precipitate a jump and there are examples of negotiators being pulled over the edge as well. T Look after your staff Over the years, to their absolute credit, parking staff have by gentle persuasion managed to get distressed persons to wait, or come down to a safer position, until the emergency services arrive. Unfortunately, staff who have been on site during an incident can be disturbed to varying degrees, and we then take steps to provide support as required, assuming the staff member may be affected by PTSD. One incident at our car park was a fatal fall. Unfortunately, it was the first shift for a new member of staff. She was shaken, but has thankfully stayed with us over the years. Another time, our evening mobile team had arrived at a MSCP to check our staff member was OK, as per their normal round. As the three gathered outside the cabin at the entrance, a member of the public said good evening to them as he entered We have worked closely with a senior police negotiator who has 40 britishparking.co.uk PN March 2022 pp40-41 Ernest Davies.indd 40 22/02/2022 15:05