Small But Mighty: Saving Lives in Critical Moments

After an IMPD officer was shot in the line of duty, he applied a tourniquet from a trauma kit before being taken to the hospital. The kits are becoming more accessible for officers thanks to the community.

Rick Snyder, President of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, said, "Here in Indianapolis, every single police officer has one of these kits, and they're all trained on how to use them."

"A small but mighty kit is saving lives in critical moments," Snyder added. "Over 200 lives have been saved by the use of these kits, and the vital thing is that the majority of those 200 saved have been civilians, not even our officers."

Snyder said that since rolling out the kits, they have expanded their availability to officers in surrounding counties outside Marion County. "We now have over 3,000 of these kits in circulation in Central Indiana. We have also moved them into southern Indiana. We have a total of about 5,000 kits distributed throughout the state."

The emergency trauma kits contain medical shears, gloves, bandages, a pressure cuff, and a combat tourniquet. Each kit costs $125 on average. The Central Indiana Police Foundation collects grant money and raises funds for these kits.

"There was an older lady who didn’t have a lot, but she donated $5 every month until she could buy a kit," Snyder said. "It’s things like that that remind our officers of the people behind the blinds who care about them."

Volunteers also help assemble the kits.

"Anyone who has ever assembled a kit thinks to themselves, when they see it on the news, 'I wonder if that was my kit,'" Snyder said. "It establishes this wonderful relationship between the community and the police, showing the power of collaboration. When our police officers and community work together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish."

The idea began on July 10, 2008, after IMPD Officer Jason Fishburne was shot in the line of duty. At that time, officers did not have trauma kits, but one officer, who was a former combat medic, had his own kit and ultimately helped save Fishburne’s life.