Houston County honor 911 dispatcher Amanda Shell, proclaims September as Suicide Prevention Month

PERRY — Deputy Cody Nelson wasn’t the only hero the day of the recent Warner Robins High School shooting. At Tuesday’s Houston County Commissioners meeting, Corp. Amanda Shell was recognized for her efforts as well; she was the county dispatcher that day. 

“I’m grateful and I’m humbled,” she said. “I just happened to be on that radio doing what I do best, and I couldn’t have done it without anybody else.” 

Sheriff Matt Moulton said the public mostly sees the first responders during events like this, but no one really sees the one “coordinating the chaos.” 

Shell received the initial 911 call from Warner Robins High School. Moulton said at the meeting, Shell coordinated about 15 agencies to the scene which, he said, is no small feat. 

“She’s one of many that we have that we are blessed to call our dispatchers,” he said. “They are the very best of the best.” 

Houston County Fire Chief Chris Stoner said that he has known Shell for over 20 years and said she has been the “calm in that chaos” as long as they have worked together. 

“You always brought calm to me when I responded to these calls,” Stoner said. 

On another issue, mental health affects mostly everyone and can be overlooked at times. To that end, the board issued a proclamation declaring the month of September as Suicide Prevention Month. 

Chairman Dan Perdue read the proclamation, stating that suicide is the the 10th leading cause of death and second leading cause in death from ages 15 to 34. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 10, 42 people in Houston County lost their lives to suicide. 

According to usafacts.org, in 2024, 1,648 people committed suicide in Georgia. The suicide rate has also increased in the state by 26.5% in the last 20 years. 

Founder of Mental Health Matters Middle Georgia Crystal Wasden begged a question at the meeting of what can we do differently to have a better view of mental health and ultimately save lives in the process. 

“Part of the answer is us looking at mental health like we do physical health,” she said. “I think if we simply learn to recognize that somebody is in a mental health or substance abuse crisis, then we can do better in how we respond.”

Calling the 988 number is just the first step to prevent a mental health crisis before it becomes one. Wasden referenced the proclamation and said the 988 number alone cannot save lives, but people, communities and connections do. She said suicide prevention often begins before the crisis call. 

“You just need to have enough care, be brave enough to ask the questions and know where to make that connection for somebody,” she said. “There’s tremendous hope where we can learn, train and reduce stigma.” 

Wasden asked those to learn the warning signs of suicide, share and learn what 988 is or even take a mental health training course during Suicide Prevention Month.