September is National Preparedness Month and Lehigh Valley Health Network is helping Allentown EMS be ready.
The LVHN Department of Public Safety in partnership with the LVHN Mattioli Trauma Center is providing a cache of Active Shooter MCI Response Kits to Allentown EMS. Allentown EMS has received ten of the kits, one for each ambulance and supervisor vehicle in the fleet.
“The city of Allentown Paramedics are excited to partner with our colleagues at Lehigh Valley Hospital to enhance our preparedness and response capabilities in the unfortunate event of an active shooter incident,” said Allentown EMS Operations Manager Eric C. Gratz. “These kits were developed with extensive input from our four tactical paramedics who train, prepare, and respond to these types of incidents with the Allentown Police Department’s Emergency Response Team.”
The equipment in each of these packs was selected by LVHN’s network Emergency Preparedness Medical Director and Emergency Operations Team to ensure that Allentown EMS will have rapid access to life-saving equipment at a moment’s notice. Equipment found in the kit includes: (5) CAT Tourniquets, (5) Quick-Clot Hemostatic Gauze Pads, (5) Chest Seals, (10) Compression Bandages, (20) Triage Tags, (1) marker, and (10) Pairs of gloves.
LVHN is making similar donations to all EMS agencies that directly service an LVHN hospital site.
The city of Allentown’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a public service system that includes all-paramedic staffed ambulances that are dispatched 24 hours day through an enhanced 9-1-1 communications system. Allentown’s paramedics responded to more than 15,500 requests for emergency medical assistance in 2015.
