Snapshot: District buys emergency Go-Kits for classrooms with first aid kits and door jams
Red backpacks were spotted in classrooms across the district starting on Monday (above). These Go Kits were purchased by the district after being recommended by consultants at Altaris Consulting Group and the district safety committee, according to spokesperson Alex Wolff. The packs contain “basic supplies that teachers can have handy in the event of an emergency,” said Wolff. The kits include items such as a door jam, emergency water, masks, a first aid kit and paper towels.
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Bob Shepherd • Feb 11, 2022 at 11:34 am
BEWARE PELHAM SCHOOLS
Commercial security companies are today part of a billion dollar (self regulated) industry that feed off of vulnerable schools and colleges around the USA. Purchasing a “go kit” like this will invariably contain items that can be sourced much cheaper individually, and the remaining unnecessary items can be left out.
I’m all for our schools being able to help themselves, because if there is ever a major incident such as a school shooting for example, everyone’s on their own in the initial seconds to minutes to make life saving decisions for themselves and/or one another.
The three most important items that a classroom can hold is a tourniquet along with first field dressing for wounds, and a rubber door wedge (only if the door warrants). I would suggest that each class holds up to 4 of each. Any child in middle and high school can be taught to use either. Any child in Elementary school is at the mercy of their teacher, or other school adults, given the children’s age. For the former schools mentioned, there may well be a case where the teacher is wounded/injured and therefore it will be down to a student to apply the tourniquet soonest. In the past in USA schools and colleges, way too many individuals have bled out in seconds to minutes while waiting for the “professional responders” to arrive. Therefore a life needlessly lost, when instead someone close to them or even themselves if possible (self aid) can apply a tourniquet along with a field dressing and stop the bleeding. I still find it unbelievable given today’s school incidents around the USA, that the BOE would be satisfied with a security company that does not teach the school staff and students of the high school and middle school their options during a school shooting. Lockdown only drills are outdated, farcical and extremely dangerous. Whether at school, home, the workplace, driving, or even out socially, in today’s USA everyone should have an understanding of their options to a shooting, and know the priorities of first aid including the use of tourniquets in my humble opinion. Given the number of car accidents each and every day around here…it’s a great asset if you have these skills to give, the first responder after all is always the individual willing to lend a hand immediately at the scene.