Dear Senators Cornyn and Durbin,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 1595, the “Improving Police Critical Aid for Responding to Emergencies (CARE) Act.”
Incidents with traumatic injuries are inherently unpredictable, and law enforcement officers are almost always the first to respond to these emergencies. In many cases, the greatest danger is not when the incident begins, but in its aftermath. Someone suffering from a major arterial puncture will bleed to death in three to five minutes, which is a daunting fact considering that the average emergency medical services response time is upwards of seven minutes. In these circumstances, the injured individual must rely on the immediate utilization of a trauma kit to stop the bleeding.
Your legislation would expand the existing U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program to allow for the purchase of trauma kits. These kits can be placed in police vehicles, law enforcement agencies, and other government facilities ready to be deployed immediately following any injury in which blood loss is potentially fatal. More trauma kits in the field mean more lives saved.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you both for your leadership on this legislation. If I can provide any additional information or support for this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President