988 & 911 Partnership
In North Dakota, crisis services are designed to work as part of a coordinated system of care. FirstLink collaborates closely with emergency services, behavioral health providers, and mobile crisis teams to ensure people receive the support that best meets their needs.
This collaboration helps:
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Connect people in crisis with trained behavioral health professionals
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Reduce unnecessary law enforcement dispatches when appropriate
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Ensure emergency responders remain available for urgent public safety needs
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Provide more compassionate, specialized support for people experiencing mental health crises
Together with behavioral health providers, mobile crisis teams, and emergency response systems, FirstLink is part of North Dakota’s broader crisis response network—ensuring people get the right support when they need it.
Understanding 988 and 911
Both 988 and 911 play important roles in responding to people in crisis.
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911 is designed for emergencies requiring immediate response from law enforcement, fire, or EMS.
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988 provides support for people experiencing mental health, emotional distress, or suicidal crises.
By working together, these systems help ensure callers receive the most appropriate response.
Many behavioral health crises can be effectively handled by trained crisis counselors over the phone or through connection to community resources. In situations where there is no immediate threat of harm, connecting someone with a behavioral health professional can often lead to safer and more effective outcomes.
When 911 Transfers Calls to FirstLink
Some 911 dispatch centers in North Dakota have created formal partnerships with FirstLink that allow certain behavioral health calls to be transferred directly to 988.
In these situations, a 911 dispatcher may ask questions such as:
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Are weapons involved?
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Is the person currently violent or threatening others?
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Is there a known history of violent behavior?
If there is no immediate safety threat, the dispatcher may ask the caller if they would like to speak with a mental health crisis counselor instead of receiving an emergency response.
If the caller agrees, the dispatcher performs a warm transfer, connecting the caller directly with a FirstLink crisis counselor.
This collaboration allows callers to receive specialized mental health support while keeping emergency resources available for situations that require them.
How 911 Dispatch Centers Can Partner with FirstLink
Partnering with FirstLink and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline allows dispatch centers to connect callers experiencing behavioral health crises with trained crisis counselors when an emergency response is not required.
The process is simple and completely free for dispatch centers.
Steps to establish a partnership:
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Formalize the partnership between your dispatch center and FirstLink. - Develop Call Handling Guides
Create simple protocols that help telecommunicators identify when a behavioral health call may be appropriate for a transfer to 988. - Train Telecommunicators
Ensure dispatch staff understand when and how to offer a warm transfer to FirstLink. - Begin Warm Transfers
When appropriate, dispatchers can offer callers the option to be connected directly to a trained crisis counselor.
This collaboration helps ensure callers receive the most appropriate support while preserving emergency resources for situations that require them.
