COLUMBIA, Md. — An 18-year-old victim suffered a deep stab wound outside Long Reach High School and stumbled into the lobby looking for help.
He was starting to bleed out, but help came fast.
Within a minute, a school resource officer had used a Quikclot kit to save his life.
“It comes with multiple sets of gloves, multiple sets of this combat gauze, which is a hemostatic agent. It comes with multiple tourniquets and multiple bandages---tactical control bandages,” said Howard County Police Lt. Jason Baker as he displayed the kit’s contents.
The kits have previously been available to community centers, schools and fire and rescue personnel, but Police Chief Gregory Der says he’s ready to expand their use.
“After the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, we recognized our need for more robust, mass trauma response,” said Der. “By the time the fire department gets there, we’re able to utilize these kits to save lives.”
Initially, the department plans to put 42 of the kits out into the field insuring that every school resource officer gets one.
The ultimate goal is to have every police officer equipped with one as well by the end of the year.
Each kit carrys an array of advanced medical supplies to stop the bleeding and to save lives.
“Up to 44 lives,” said Baker. “So with all the stuff that we’ve equipped in here, we can treat up to 44 separate injuries with just one bag. And with multiple sergeants on the road and multiple kits arriving and school resource officers having them on scene, you could have up to three kits arrive on scene.”
