OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – UW Oshkosh Police are thankful after Aurora Medical Center recently stepped in to donate 30 ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits to be placed around the campus.
“We have the ability now and we don’t have to come up with money to provide these tools. Aurora has done that for us,” Lieutenant Trent Martin tells WTAQ News.
The donation allows the department to focus on putting finances towards other areas of concern.
While they hope there is never a reason to use the kits, UW Oshkosh Police aim to be proactive when it comes to potential threats or danger to students.
“These kits are designed for mass casualty incidents, active threat or shooter situations, where individuals who have been wounded have the ability to have the resources to stop the bleeding,” says Martin, “It’s similar to a first aid kit. They just have different materials in the kits themselves that focus on bleeding specifically. Tourniquets, gauze, pads, bandages, things like that.”
Martin says the kits are important to have around campus – but it’s also key to teach people how to use them properly.
“The goal is to train as many staff, faculty, and students as we can,” Martin says, “Training not just on stopping the bleed, but situations where they might be presented with an active threat. How do you react and respond to that? Training is big.”
In the case of an active threat with the potential for mass casualties, it can be vital for civilians in the area to have the ability to respond.
“If we can work on stopping the threat while other people have the ability to render aid at the same time, we could save a lot more lives,” Martin points out, “The idea is to put them throughout campus for those who know how to use the stop the bleed kits, or at least the materials in the kits.”
The department will offer open forums and seminars for the entire campus community to learn how to utilize the kits and deal with active threat situations. However, if something does happen, you don’t need a degree to grab the kit off the wall.
“Even if you’re not certified, you don’t have a piece of paper that says you went through the class, doesn’t mean that you can’t open these things up and use them if you’re confident with the tools,” Martin says.
UW Oshkosh Police are also working to team up with the university nursing department to organize a better response plan and improve education surrounding the kits.
It’s also important to note that the kits aren’t designated exclusively for use during an active threat. They are available for any traumatic incident, like a serious fall or crash in the campus area.
“It doesn’t have to be an active shooter situation, it could be just someone who has a major injury. This could be used to save their life,” Martin says.
