GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – As school shootings and other tragedies continue to make headlines across the country, one Delta County law enforcement agency has introduced an initiative to keep students safe.
Gladstone Public Safety has been developing a mass casualty response plan with Gladstone Area Public Schools over the past few years.
“We kind of evolved on that where we sat down and we thought, ‘Maybe we should put some training and actual exercises into action,'” said Public Safety Director Ron Robinson.
The department launched a four-phase initiative that started with the teachers.
“What we’re looking to do is to prevent the incident before it actually happens,” Robinson explained. “In phase one, we did some training on what to look for and reporting and what to expect from the police.”
Phase two was “Stop the Bleed” training. Rampart EMS and OSF staff taught school personnel how to help students in the event of a tragedy.
“If something ever happens, they’re going to be the first ones there, and they could actually save a life,” said Robinson.
For phase three, Public Safety plans to equip every single classroom with a “Stop the Bleed” kit.
“In the kits, we’re looking at tourniquets, rubber gloves, medical scissors,” Robinson said. “Packing any wounds that may happen. Gauze with hemostatic agents on it, which is basically a blood clot.”
With 125 classrooms in the district and roughly $100 per kit, Robinson says the estimated cost will be $12,500. Public Safety is looking for community support to help with the funding.
“Nobody wants to put a monetary value on saving lives, but there is an expense,” he said. “The school is more than willing to put their fair share in, but if we could come up with donations for something that I think is a very real possibility, it would be a great success.”
Gladstone Public Safety hopes to have kits in place by the start of next school year, coinciding with phase four in August.
“We are going to do a full-scale exercise up at the Gladstone High School that will simulate an active assailant coming in,” Robinson said. “All Delta County agencies that would be involved in a mass casualty incident are going to do what they plan to do.”
Robinson believes the initiative—especially getting “Stop the Bleed” kits into classrooms—will ensure the district is prepared to protect the lives of its students.
“No incident will be as traumatic to this community than a mass casualty incident involving our children,” he said. “We hope that it never happens, but to not be prepared would be very foolish.”
Monetary donations for the “Stop the Bleed” kits can be made at Gladstone Public Safety, located at 144 4th Avenue North, or at Gladstone City Hall, located at 1100 Delta Avenue. Anyone with questions can contact Robinson at (906) 428-3131.
Click here to see Gladstone Public Safety’s original post about the initiative.
