Police outfitted with emergency medical bags thanks to FEC grant

The Columbia Falls Police Department has moved towards equipping its officers for more advanced on-the-scene medical care. The department recently purchased first responder medical bags for each of its six patrol cars through funding from a Flathead Electric Co-op Roundup for Safety grant.

As Flathead County continues on a trend of ever-increasing visitors, so does Columbia Falls traffic, and with it, the number of motor vehicle crashes, said Columbia Falls Officer Craig McConnell. Officers frequently are first on the scene of any traffic accident, and until recently, Columbia Falls officers have been equipped with only minimum-standard first aid materials, he said. This has limited the amount of care officers can provide before paramedics arrive.

The new first responder medical bags, purchased through Cintas First Aid and Safety Services, are equipped with trauma dressings and tourniquets. These new provisions will allow officers to provide more comprehensive care to victims in the interim between injury and advanced medical attention. All officers are First Aid, AED and CPR certified, said McConnell, but the force will be increasing its training on treating hemorrhaging through tourniquet applications and major wound sealing.

Funding for the bags was secured through the Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety grant program. In February, Officer McConnell presented the Roundup Board of Directors with the department’s needs and what it would take to supply them. The board awarded the department with a $2,000 grant and medical bags were bought for each of the force’s six patrol cars by the beginning of March.

“This way [by acquiring first responder medical bags] we’re getting ahead of the game by being a little more prepared to help out citizens in need at their worst moment,” McConnell said.