Idaho’s Suicide Prevention Hotline, to which the state has contributed $50,000 a year for three years as part of a public-private partnership, has likely saved at least 100 lives so far, lawmakers heard this morning. The hotline, which is now operational 24/7, has received a total of 1,867 calls, including 100 rescue calls. Ross Edmunds, administrator of mental health services for the state Department of Health & Welfare, said rescue calls are “when an individual calls the hotline and says, ‘I’ve already taken an overdose of medication,’ ‘I’ve got a loaded gun in my lap.’ … The public-private partnership to make this hotline run has likely saved over 100 lives in Idaho.”

Gov. Butch Otter’s budget proposal for next year includes continuing the $50,000 contribution.