Bleeding Control Kits will be distributed to more than 6,400 houses of worship in New Jersey to improve survival for victims if an active shooter incident occurs, the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) recently announced.
The NJOHSP indicated that mass gathering locations remain an attractive target for domestic extremists, and houses of worship are especially vulnerable as there is easy access and limited security and other protective measures are not in place.
“There is no known or credible threat to New Jersey at this time,” NJOHSP spokeswoman Maria Prato told The Epoch Times. “With active shooter events continuing to occur around the country, our intention with this program is to be proactive versus reactive.”
Ms. Prato added that “the planning phase of this distribution program began in May 2023. It has been developed as an additional resource our agency makes available to houses of worship.”
The Bleeding Control Kits contain a combat application tourniquet, a 4-inch emergency pressure bandage, compressed crinkle gauze, two chest seals, trauma shears, and medical gloves.
These items can stop extreme hemorrhages and pneumothorax injuries, according to the agency. A pneumothorax injury is when a lung partially or fully collapses.
The NJOHSP reports that domestic extremists and homegrown violent extremists carried out 16 attacks on soft targets nationwide from 2018 to 2022. The attacks resulted in 60 deaths and 66 injuries.
According to the latest FBI report on active shooter incidents, there was a 66.7 percent increase in 2022 compared to 2018. In 2022, there were 313 casualties, the highest in the last five years and a 28.8 percent increase compared to 2021.
The FBI report showed an upward trend for the entire four-year period except for a decrease in the 2021–22 period. The number of casualties from active shooters in 2021 was 243, while in 2020 there were 164 casualties. But in 2019 there were 258 casualties, and in 2018 there were 225 casualties.
The NJOHSP is focused on helping the wounded survive while they await emergency responders.
“Our hope is that no one ever has to use these kits,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Dorian in a prepared statement. “A victim, depending on the wound’s location and severity, may have five to eight minutes to slow blood loss.”
“While many religious organizations have become more vigilant with mitigating risks and threat levels, the quick action of bystanders can drastically improve the survivability of the wounded as they wait for first responder’s arrival. Equipping houses of worship and parishioners with vital training and lifesaving kits will better prepare them for an incident,” Ms. Dorian said.
Ms. Prato said the NJOHSP is coordinating with partners across New Jersey, from law enforcement to medical professionals, to deliver training for houses of worship.
In addition to houses of worship, New Jersey public schools were also equipped with the kits several years ago as part of a grant from the NJOHSP.
The Bleeding Control Kits are part of the national Department of Defense “Stop the Bleed” initiative, which is a public-private partnership with many stakeholders.
Several states have placed bleed control kits in schools and building facilities, and others have installed them in other areas. The City of Chicago, for instance, placed 550 kits at 350 locations throughout the city several years ago as part of its Safe Chicago initiative.
Some states have even passed legislation in recent years requiring trauma kits to be installed in certain facilities.
Colorado passed a bill requiring its department of health to distribute the kits to schools which opted in to receiving them. Arkansas and Indiana also passed legislation requiring all public schools to have the kits.
California passed legislation requiring any building constructed after Jan. 1, 2023, including those owned or operated by the local government, to have the trauma kits on the premises and notify tenants of the building of their location.
In Texas, all school districts are required to have the bleed control kits stored in accessible areas on the grounds. It also requires training for each school district peace officer, resource officer security personnel, and other district or school personnel who may be expected to use the kits.
Federal legislation was even introduced in 2022 by now-indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
