LEO trauma kit donations or discounts?

My Chief is unwilling to “pay $48 for some gauze, and that stuff expires” …. Essentially he’s unwilling to shell out for hemostatic gauze, chest seals and tourniquets to make trauma kits. He’s willing to let us use our own, but won’t replace it if we use it.

The arguments that can be made against this…. shortsightedness…. have been made, quite strongly, but the decision stands.

So.

Does anyone know if an organization willing or able to donate trauma kits or supplies to law enforcement?

Alternately, does anyone know where they can be bought at a significant discount?

I can teach a “stop the bleed” class but would like to have kits to hand out and explain, rather than teaching the class and telling them to go buy it themselves.

Very few people will see your post in here, I can move it to GD if you like.

You need a new chief or a new agency.
This stuff is the standard of care/industry standard. If the picture you paint is accurate, your chief is deliberately indifferent and negligent.
There are organizations that donate trauma kits, the names escape me. I'll think on it.
Go to your local lions/vfw/am legion/etc and ask for donation/sponsorship for this purpose, offer gratuitous PR.
Go to your emergency manager or state homeland security coordinator and ask how to apply for federal funds for this allocated to states. IFAKs are fundable.
Go to your local hospital and ask what they might have to spare. There's usually an emergency management/liaison official in facilities.
Go to your local mil/NG unit (esp a med company) and see if they have expired gear they are turning over. A unit de-mob'ing can be a good time.

Fund/buy necessities, not niceties. You need some ace wraps, krink, TQs, and tape, which you can do that for <$30 with the standard ~10% discount off MSRP most places offer. Buy the latest version of the SOFT from TMS and they can double as trainers for a long time. Chest seals, trauma dressings, and hemo gauze is nice to have.

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Originally Posted by ST911

Very few people will see your post in here, I can move it to GD if you like.

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Sure, if you think that's better.

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You need a new chief or a new agency.
This stuff is the standard of care/industry standard. If the picture you paint is accurate, your chief is deliberately indifferent and negligent.

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Possibly true, but it's the situation I have to work within.

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There are organizations that donate trauma kits, the names escape me. I'll think on it.

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That would be great

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Go to your local lions/vfw/am legion/etc and ask for donation/sponsorship for this purpose, offer gratuitous PR.

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Part of the problem is, we're a new agency and everyone who works here came from somewhere else. Nobody belongs to any of those organizations or has family in the area who do.

I'm going to try calling around but thought I'd ask if anyone knew anyone who does those kind of donations specifically.

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Go to your emergency manager or state homeland security coordinator and ask how to apply for federal funds for this allocated to states. IFAKs are fundable.

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If we have those positions, they are probably held by the chief himself. We only have 10 people in our entire department.

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Originally Posted by tanksoldier

If we have those positions, they are probably held by the chief himself. We only have 10 people in our entire department.

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I meant your county/state EM and homeland security folks. Go here: https://dhsem.colorado.gov/, scroll down for "contact us" information. Go to the Grants, then Grant Programs tab for some examples. IFAKs and MASCAL gear are fundable in a number of state and federal programs. You could also contact the state department of health or education and ask about a stop the bleed in schools program, and see if that's something you can hitch onto to.

You should be able to fund IFAKs for everyone in your office, kits for your cars and schools, training kits, and a backstock of consumable supplies.

Also check with your county Prosecutor office. At least here they will help with funds occasionally.

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Originally Posted by joe138

Also check with your county Prosecutor office. At least here they will help with funds occasionally.

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Yep, forgot that thanks. Depending on how it's set up, this stuff is fundable with asset forfeitures.

Thread moved, please help OP if you have info.

FWIW, Dark Angel Medical states that they will replace any components of a kit used to "save a life": https://darkangelmedical.com/kit-for-life/

They also offer an LE discount, though I don't know how much.

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Originally Posted by ST911

You could also contact the state department of health or education and ask about a stop the bleed in schools program, and see if that's something you can hitch onto to.

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Ironically, I was the SRO and taught Stop the Bleed to school staff (as suggested here in another thread) and all the classrooms and offices have stop the bleed kits now... but we don't.

I know Tactical Medical Solutions (TMS) and North American Rescue offer both professional discounts as well as volume discounts.

I also know TMS has worked with agencies and organizations to find grant money.

I also agree you need a new chief, but I also know it ain't gonna happen. I would send him the data and copy your elected officials. Having it and knowing how to use it can offset liability and insurance. If you need help with data I might be able to point you in some directions. If your elected officials understand that this is now current practice and not doing it increases liability, they be more inclined to fund.

Right now some of these companies are donating med supplies to Ukraine. Not sure if you would get buy-in for donations from them to your organization while this is going on.

Bumping this thread. OP- What progress have you made? What did your state/local EM and homeland security folks tell you?

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Originally Posted by ST911

Bumping this thread. OP- What progress have you made? What did your state/local EM and homeland security folks tell you?

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Well, we've established that the Chief really doesn't seem to want me to do this but won't outright tell me no. So, like the stubborn fool I am, I'm taking that as a yes. I have 1 sergeant onboard, so that's something.

My only limitation is that we can't use any grants or funding that requires much recordkeeping... which most federal grants do.

I have feelers out to the state AG, our county DA and state and county emergency management/ homeland security. I work graves so it's difficult to connect during my work week. I've decided to put some of my own time into it and today is my Friday so we'll see what happened over the next few days.

ETA: The biggest problem seems to be is we want so little. To outfit everybody AND get the training equipment will be about $1400. Nobody wants to jump thru hoops for that little. It almost seems if I needed $14,000 this would be easier.

I would try the guys below, name brand USA made gear for a fair price. I just ordered another IFAK refill kit. I do know they offer a military/LEO discount. Not sure what that is from them. Shoot them a email. info@darkangelmedical.com for the specifics.

https://darkangelmedical.com/

SPRING SALE! USE CODE: SPRING22 TO SAVE 15%

https://darkangelmedical.com/d-a-r-k...sealed-insert/

If you’re a cop in SC(particularly lowcountry, but along 26, 20, 95, or 77), hit me up on PM, and I’ll see what I can do to try to help out an individual officer.

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Originally Posted by zack991

I would try the guys below, name brand USA made gear for a fair price. I just ordered another IFAK refill kit. I do know they offer a military/LEO discount. Not sure what that is from them. Shoot them a email. info@darkangelmedical.com for the specifics.

https://darkangelmedical.com/

SPRING SALE! USE CODE: SPRING22 TO SAVE 15%

https://darkangelmedical.com/d-a-r-k...sealed-insert/

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Their stuff is fine, but I will argue that it's a "fair price", especially set against the standard (North American Rescue). Truth in advertising, I am not a shill for NARP; I do have some of their stuff, as I also have Tactical Medical Solutions, Chinook, and stuff from other vendors, and it's all about the same. DA stuff is fine--basically the same as all the others--but pricey.

I wonder what the department's Liability insurer would say about Chief Cheapass denying his officers basic medical equipment? Or the ones Da Chief answers to in muni gov?

Might also be worth sending a note to Rescue Essentials and see if they can do anything for ya.

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Originally Posted by Diamondback

I wonder what the department's Liability insurer would say about Chief Cheapass denying his officers basic medical equipment? Or the ones Da Chief answers to in muni gov?

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Once you know or should have known what you're supposed to be doing, you enter the realm of negligence and deliberate indifference. I would be retaining correspondence and data on conversations with such a chief.

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Might also be worth sending a note to Rescue Essentials and see if they can do anything for ya.

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Always useful to network and visit with vendors. That said, it's too easy to be poor and beg for a donation. That's what a lot of folks do and manufacturers receive those requests for discounts or free gear daily. It's always harder to do work, and blockers make it harder still. However, a number of programs not only allow but encourage application for this kind of equipment. The offices that run those programs are also familiar with chiefs like the OP's, and can almost certainly help with a third-party/pass-through conduit to get the gear out.

Follow-through is the name of the game here.

Also, I'd say making some friends in the community would be a good play. Particularly ones in positions to bring pain on him personally with questions like "Why does Chief Cheapass hate his cops and want them to DIE?"

Then again, I'm the dude who IMMEDIATELY responds to impugning my character with "are you still beating your wife" or "prove YOU'RE not a child molester," so take my political strategy with a grain.

Another relevant question is what's Chief Cheapass's objection to things on paper, other than showing where his budget priorities are? (Snarky musing, I wonder what his conference-travel budget looks like...)

Dude... if all else fails, you guys will just have to buy it yourself. I work at a well-trained, well-equipped agency, but I've spent God-only-knows how much of my own money on training and equipment that I felt I needed or could use. If your guys won't buy their own kit and only carry stuff that is bought for them, then that's their problem.

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Originally Posted by TheTick

Dude... if all else fails, you guys will just have to buy it yourself. I work at a well-trained, well-equipped agency, but I've spent God-only-knows how much of my own money on training and equipment that I felt I needed or could use. If your guys won't buy their own kit and only carry stuff that is bought for them, then that's their problem.

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Agreed, bought a ton of a lot of better gear then what we were issued. Most of it the command didn't care but certain items were a no go. Rather carry gear that I paid for to keep myself alive vs hoping the higher ups wake the hell up.

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Originally Posted by tanksoldier

My Chief is unwilling to “pay $48 for some gauze, and that stuff expires” …. Essentially he’s unwilling to shell out for hemostatic gauze, chest seals and tourniquets to make trauma kits. He’s willing to let us use our own, but won’t replace it if we use it.

The arguments that can be made against this…. shortsightedness…. have been made, quite strongly, but the decision stands.

So.

Does anyone know if an organization willing or able to donate trauma kits or supplies to law enforcement?

Alternately, does anyone know where they can be bought at a significant discount?

I can teach a “stop the bleed” class but would like to have kits to hand out and explain, rather than teaching the class and telling them to go buy it themselves.

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Man, I could rant about my organisation for days. I once asked if I would be allowed to wear a personal TQ and was told that's what ambulances are for.

We just had a stabbing at the courthouse and they had to stop the bleeding with brown paper because all we have is an AED and plasters. Hopefully this will change things.