Kevin Briggs

As an internationally recognized, FBI-trained crisis negotiator and mental health advocate, Sergeant Kevin Briggs’ story and lived experiences have been featured at the Technology, Entertainment, and Design 2014 Conference as a TED Talk, NBC’s Access Live, Yahoo News, The New Yorker Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, NPR’s Bob Edwards Radio Show, People Magazine, USA Today, as well as other magazines, newspapers, radio, and podcasts across the globe. His first book, "Guardian of the Golden Gate," was released in July 2015.

Briggs, a retired California Highway Patrol sergeant, spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge. While on patrol, he encountered numerous individuals who had lost all hope and were contemplating suicide. Through compassion and the ability to “Listen to Understand,” he encouraged several hundred individuals over his career not to end their lives but to begin a new chapter. These challenging but rewarding efforts earned him the nickname “Guardian of the Golden Gate.”

Briggs served three years in the United States Army, three years with the California Department of Corrections, and 23 years with the California Highway Patrol. Since retiring from the CHP, he has dedicated his time to promoting mental health awareness and resiliency worldwide. His own lived experiences include coping with child abuse, battling cancer at age 20, undergoing heart surgery, and being a suicide loss survivor. He openly shares how faith, resiliency, and post-traumatic growth have played a significant role in guiding him through these challenges.