MOORESVILLE,
Ind. – When law enforcement officers hit the roadways for patrol, the only
certainty they face is the uncertainty of what they might encounter. And quite
often those situations are swift and violent: gunshot wounds, stabbings or
crash injuries.
In
Morgan County, officers often are first on the scene before emergency medical
responders. Now, they have trauma packs to render life-saving first aid to
civilians, fellow officers – and themselves, if necessary – thanks to Franciscan
St. Francis Health.
“The
trauma packs are a front-line necessity for law enforcement in our county,”
said Nathan Lowder, RN, manager of the Emergency Department for Franciscan St.
Francis-Mooresville.
“The idea behind the packs was first suggested last year by
Brian Anderson, a member of the Mooresville Police Department. Anderson, who
also works part-time as a security officer at the Mooresville hospital, approached
Franciscan St. Francis Health officials about funding the project, which the
hospital did at a cost of $8,000.
As discussions progressed, it was determined the packs should be
provided to all officers with the Mooresville and Martinsville police
departments, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, tactical units, Indiana State
Police and the town marshals of Monrovia, Brooklyn, Morgantown and Paragon.
The
cost of each kit is about $85 and includes special
wound-packing gauzes; a tourniquet; pressure bandages to treat severe wounds; a
large bandage to cover abdominal wounds; dressings to seal holes in the chest
cavity; an open airway device; trauma shears; and disposable gloves. All of the
items fit snugly into an easily carried drop-leg pack.
Although
long-experienced in emergency medicine, Lowder was required to undergo
intensive training and certification from the Department of Homeland Security
before he could train others to use the packs.
Lowder
has trained more than 100 officers since the beginning of the year. Plans also
are under way to train other state troopers and conservation officers who are
assigned to Morgan County.
“The training is thorough and it gives officers
the confidence they need to respond in high-stress situations,” said Lowder,
who also is a reserve sheriff’s deputy.
In his 14 years with the Morgan County
Sheriff’s Department, Captain Brent Worth knows a thing or two about
high-stress scenarios: Active shooter and hostage incidents; investigating
homicides, armed robberies, domestic violence and vehicle accidents; and
dealing with escalating drug-related activity and crimes.
“We’re largely rural in this county and when
responding to a call we just never know what will be encounter,” said Worth,
who has undergone the training and also is a certified emergency medical
technician. “There have been past incidents when the trauma kits may have saved
the lives of injured officers and civilians.”
To ensure standardized use and easy access, the
packs are attached to the posts of passenger headrests in all patrol vehicles.
That way, all Morgan County officers know where they can find additional
supplies if needed.
The trend of providing trauma kits to police
officers has grown nationally in recent years, largely spawned by growing
active shooter occurrences and incidents such as the Boston Marathon bombings.
Last year, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department issued the packs to
all of its officers.
“When time matters and lives may be at stake,
the packs and training we receive are vital tools to make a difference,” Worth
said. “We are grateful for St. Francis’ support.”
