TOLEDO, Ohio — School resource officers are dedicated to making schools safer.
Sometimes, it's not only in the building.
On Friday, Toledo police officer Ryan Tierney and two other Toledo Public Schools resource officers helped stop a student from jumping off a bridge.
While incidents like this one don't happen often, Tierney knows he has to be prepared for anything.
Working as a school resource officer for a couple of years now, he's learned how to connect with students during a crisis.
"I try to explain to them that I'm not just this uniform. I'm a person too and I've been through this. I went to high school, I went to college," he said. "So, having life experience, I try to impress that upon them."
He said high schoolers can get wrapped up in what others think of them.
Tierney said it's his job to make sure students know they're not alone and they have someone there to listen; someone they can count on.
"You know, you're so worried about what your friends are thinking about you in high school, and I say, 'You know, five or 10 years from now, you most likely won't have those same friends from high school. You're going to want to have better friends that get you to better places in your life,'" he said.
Tierney said students across the country have had a difficult time adjusting back to school following the pandemic, but he has hope for the future.
"Between myself and the administration, we've made some changes within the building throughout the fall and transitioning into the second semester. I feel like we've made a huge improvement behavior-wise within the school," Tierney said.
Anyone experiencing a crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
Locally, you can call Rescue Mental Health 419-255-9585 or the Wood County Crisis Line at 419-502-4673.
If you want to talk to someone and are not in immediate danger, Text '4Hope' to 741-741 to be connected to the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services Crisis Text Line. There is no charge and the information will not show up on your phone bill.
If you are in need of mental health services, Call Unison Health at 419-214-4673 or NAMI of Greater Toledo at 419-243-1119.
If you are a young member of the LGBTQ+ community and need help in any way, call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. Calls made to the Trevor Project are free and kept confidential.