Legislation created fund for lifesaving law enforcement kits
Indiana law enforcement will have additional tools to help them save lives, thanks to legislation inspired by a partnership between Community Healthcare System and Franciscan Health.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Indiana House Bill 1396 into law May 1, establishing the Stop the Bleed Program. The law establishes a donation pool administered by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to fund kits and related training for law enforcement. The goal of the kits is to help officers save themselves, their colleagues and members of the public in cases of traumatic injury before EMS arrives.
Community Hospital’s Emergency Preparedness Manager Gary McKay and Franciscan Health Emergency Preparedness Manager Lori Postma partnered to help make the legislation a reality through their longtime collaboration with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security District 1 Task Force.
Postma said she and McKay have worked together for years providing emergency preparedness training sessions on a variety of scenarios and subjects. McKay called Postma after Carl Koontz, a Howard County Sheriff’s deputy from Kokomo, Ind., was shot in the line of duty in 2016. McKay is the former police chief of the Kokomo Police Department, where he served in a variety of capacities for nearly 25 years.
“Every second matters when a person suffers a traumatic injury,” McKay said. “The sooner we render aid, the better the chance of survival. These kits will make the difference between life and death.”
EMS could not reach Officer Koontz after he was shot because he was in an active shooter hot zone. He died as a result of his injuries.
“We both said this was the saddest thing ever,” Postma said. “These cops didn’t know how to save their buddy. We said how can we in good faith know there is a way to teach these cops to save themselves and each other and not do anything?”
McKay and Postma worked to find an eight-hour training course for law enforcement coupled with life-saving packs called tac med kits that cost just over $100 when purchased in bulk. The IDHS Planning Committee agreed to send 13 people to become trainers, 12 law enforcement officers and Postma, who is a SWAT nurse.
Since 2016, McKay and Postma have trained more than 2,300 officers in seven Indiana counties. Multiple businesses, nonprofit organizations and health departments helped purchase the kits, then referred to as “Save a Cop,” through donations and fundraisers prior to the passage of the legislation. Several departments reported that lives have been saved because of the kits.
“We’re proud of the efforts of Lori and Gary to help first responders help themselves when faced with the unthinkable,” Franciscan Health Munster President and CEO Dean Mazzoni said. “Lori’s respect for life, compassionate care and Christian stewardship truly embody the Franciscan spirit, and we thank her for her efforts.”
Community Hospital CEO Randy Neiswonger said the collaboration highlights what is most important to both healthcare organizations – saving lives.
“We are proud to be a part of this effort to give officers the best chance at surviving potentially deadly situations,” he said.
Postma said the creation of the donation pool for the kits at the state level is rewarding.
“This is what Franciscan is all about,” Postma said. “Respect for life is one of our core values. I was just thankful to be a part of it.”
The bill was authored by Indiana Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster.
