Police officers aren’t expected to be medics, but they do sometimes find themselves in need of medical supplies for minor injuries or when they are first on the scene of a major incident.
Officer Trevor Foster knows this fact firsthand, which is why he has worked to ensure every Columbia Police Department officer has a brand new first aid kit and basic, life-saving medical equipment.
“A lot of our old medkits were out of date and some guys didn’t really have (any),” Officer Foster said, gesturing to several stacks of first aid kits in his office. “If someone has a scrape, we got the Band-Aids.”
The kits were in crates alongside wound care kits, and all of the crates had an officer’s name on them.
The first aid and wound care kits were donated by Walmart. Each of the first aid kits comes with an assortment of practical items for an emergency such as bandages, medicine and topical treatments, wound-dressing pads, and materials like pads and tape to assist in dressing wounds. They have everything an officer needs for any situation, from putting a Band-Aid on a hangnail to packing a bullet wound.
Additionally, Stacey Hatcher Bishop with Community Medical made a donation to assist in the purchase of fully-furnished tactical EMT bags. Inside these bags are split rolls, tourniquets, trauma bandages, emergency blankets, and more.
While most first aid equipment is user-friendly, basic wound-care knowledge is necessary to make the most of it. Police officers are already taught some first aid and medical skills in the academy, but Officer Foster wanted to ensure everyone had a refresher. So Bill Edwards, director of TJ Health Columbia, taught officers a free course on how to stop bleeds.
“The safety is number one in my opinion…My goal is to keep all the first aid up to par,” Officer Foster said before showcasing more items intended for the officer medical kits that he is still working to get for everyone. He demonstrated a pair of forcep-like items to pick up needles and a device to help in the event of a child choking.
Foster’s push to get police prepared for medical emergencies came after a case where first aid items he purchased himself proved useful. Now, it seems, thanks to his efforts, officers will not have to rely on personal expenditures to save lives. Everything they could ever need is provided for them and ready—and they have the training to use it.
Commenting on Officer Foster’s mission to provide the police department with ready-to-use medical equipment, Mayor Pam Hoots stated, “We appreciate the work of Officer Foster in preparation of these emergency kits for our police department. We also thank our local businesses that have contributed.”
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com