PITTSFIELD, Mass. — All city public schools will receive backpack trauma kits equipped to handle a multitude of emergency situations.

 

Fire Chief Thomas Sammons alongside Police Chief Michael Wynn and Eric Lamoureaux of the Pittsfield Public Schools announced Monday the delivery of 15 trauma kits that were secured through a Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency grant.

 

"This is a whole approach the city is taking in responding to an active shooter," Sammons said at Fire Department headquarters on Monday morning. "The Police and Fire Department have worked together on active shooter scenarios and these kits have a lot of the same items that we carry and deploy."

 

Sammons said the grant was submitted in the fall and was a joint effort between the Fire, Police, and School departments. The grant was $9,735 in total; each kit cost around $650.

 

"This is a great example of three city departments working together for the common good of our residents," the chief said. "It is unfortunate that we have to think about this but it is better to plan ahead then to not think about it." 

 

Sammons opened one of the packs that contain five sub packs containing a clot pack, quick clot dressing, pressure dressing, occlusive dressing, eyewash and a stretcher among other items to provide immediate wound care in an emergency.

 

Wynn said the kits are really active shooter kits congruent with emergency services' developing active assailant protocol. But he said the packs have a variety of uses and are more likely to be applied in a different emergency situation.

 

"The closer we can get the trauma kits to the front line, the more likely it is going to have a positive impact on the outcome," he said. "So although we are planning for the worse case ... these kits can be applied in a variety of circumstances. It doesn't matter if there is a car crash in proximity to the school or there is a laceration that occurs in one of the shops."

 

Lamoureaux said the kits would likely be delivered to the schools next week and representatives from emergency services would train the head nurse and staff on how to use them. From there, they will train medical response teams set up in each building.

 

"Many times it is the staff first-responders within the building who need to act first until fire, police, and EMS arrive," he said. "As we distribute these kits to the buildings ... the schools' medical response teams will be trained in how to use them."

 

He said he was thankful for the partnership between the schools and city first -responders and that the school has also trained staff in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and will continue to expand this training.