ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Police Chief Gregory Der today announced an innovative plan to equip police officers with life-saving bleeding control Quikclot kits, which have special blood-clotting gauze designed to quickly stop traumatic bleeding. The Police Department has initially purchased 42 new large kits and applied for grant funding to provide individual kits for every officer by the end of the year. The large kits are intended to treat many people simultaneously for traumatic injuries and will be provided to school resource officers and supervisors in patrol. Photos of the event can be found here.
Howard County is committed to providing the best tools and resources to keep our community safe and save lives. Our police officers encounter emergencies and accidents every day, and these Quikclot kits will provide officers with another life-saving tool to ensure the best possible outcome for someone experiencing life-threatening bleeding.
As an early adopter of the Stop the Bleed initiative in Howard County, these kits are already utilized by Department of Fire and Rescue personnel and are readily available alongside Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public places like schools and community centers.
Howard County first responders use Stop the Bleed training and these kits to deliver life-saving care to victims of car crashes, falls, industrial and recreational accidents, and other traumas.
"By making this technology readily available to officers, we can help people with serious injuries in the first few moments of arriving on a scene," said Police Chief Gregory Der. "Whether a violent incident like a shooting, or a tragedy like a car crash, bleeding control can make a major difference in those first precious few minutes."
Traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 45. Hemorrhage or severe bleeding represents the single biggest cause of preventable death within trauma patients.