CRANSTON – An initiative taken up by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has developed the state’s first “active threat plan” to guide response to a mass shooting.
A key piece of that plan is teaching 1,500 Rhode Islanders how to stop heavy bleeding, according to EMA Director Marc Pappas.
This week, the agency distributed 20 specialized medical kits at an event outside its headquarters.
The Active Response Kits provide medical gear for handling severely bleeding wounds: tourniquets, wound-packing bandages, pressure bandages, chest seals and more.
“As we know, the unfortunate truth is that active shooter situations have become a way of life in America,” Pappas said. “While we cannot prevent them, we can implement countermeasures to minimize the damage and loss of life.”
What to know about the ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign
Representatives of local public safety organizations, including fire departments and the U.S. Coast Guard, attended the recent training.
Two specialty “Mass Casualty Incident Response Vehicle” vans, and a van from the Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps, part of Operation Stop the Bleed Rhode Island, were also on hand.