In 2014, Buckeye Firearms Foundation announced an initiative to put a trauma kit in every school building in Ohio. Now, one Boy Scout from northwest Ohio is seeking to further that goal as an Eagle project.
Levi Baus, a 14-year-old from rural Archbold, Ohio, is raising funds to put a medical trauma kit in every Archbold area school classroom, and to provide medical training to school staff so that they can be prepared to use the kits effectively.
According to Baus, “The trauma kits are more advanced first aid kits; they include items such as chest seals, compression bandages, tourniquets and more. The kits are intended to treat life-threatening injuries such as puncture or bullet wounds.
“When this type of injury occurs,” Baus adds, “someone may lose their life before help arrives. These kits are made to provide immediate treatment to someone in a critical situation.”
These are the same kits that are provided to faculty and administrators who complete the FASTER Saves Lives Program training.
Most school buildings have a first aid kit and an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) with personnel trained to use them. On the other hand, few schools have a trauma kit with the supplies needed to deal with trauma injuries, such as those that can occur after a parking lot or shop class accident, severe cuts, a bleacher collapse, a weather catastrophe or a violent attack. Schools should be equipped to respond immediately and care for such injuries.
Although, because he is home-educated, Baus does not attend classes at Archbold, he is excited that his Eagle project is helping his local school system.
“Many of the boys in my Troop attend classes at Archbold, and I have other friends who attend there. The school is part of my community and I saw the need to help it be a safer place.”
Each kit costs $65. Baus says that in order to assemble and install a kit in all 76 of Archbold’s classrooms (and a few common areas), provide the medical training and complete this project, he needs to raise a total of $5,400.
If you wish to contribute, go to bit.ly/MedKitProject.
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