CALDWELL, Idaho — Canyon County first responders are now stocking Canyon County schools with trauma kits, hoping to make a real difference if a school shooting ever happens.
The kits were paid for through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. They are full of essential first aid materials to address situations where a student or staff member is injured and needs immediate assistance before paramedics arrive.
The kits will be arriving at all schools within two weeks, and districts are planning training sessions with Canyon County paramedics so that their staff receive proper training.
- Canyon County Schools to receive Stop the bleed trauma kits
- All teachers and staff will be train to use kits
- Kits are to be use in any immediate and severe injury
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"It is our responsibility to be prepared as possible if something that horrific were to take place," said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue.
Canyon County first responders are now stocking local schools with trauma kits in hopes of saving lives in the case of a school shooting.
"We look at this problem like a three-legged stool: one leg is prevention, one leg is preparation and one leg is response. And so these kits follow under the preparation piece," said Douglas Hart, Deputy Chief of Canyon County Sheriffs Office.
Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue says while it's a hard subject to talk about it's important to take every step possible to prepare for the worst case scenario.
"The studies show that when those things happen when these trauma kits are available they do save lives," said Sheriff Donahue.
The kits were paid for through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, and are full of essential first aid materials to address a situation where a student or staff member is actively losing a lot of blood and in need of immediate assistance before paramedics arrive.
"There's a tourniquet in there, chest seals, quick clots, variations of bandages and a sharpie marker so they can note the time that they applied the tourniquet," said Emergency Management Coordinator Christine Wendelsdorf.
Caldwell School District leaders tell me they hope to receive these kits soon.
Once they arrive, each teacher will be trained by Canyon County paramedics.
"Right now there is not a state requirement for lockdown drills, just fire drills, but we are making sure to start those drills at the beginning of the semester.
It's very important for our students and staff to know what to do," said Director of Student Safety and Emergency Operations, Eric Phillips.