EPS Community Policing Bureau has launched the Casualty Care Breakout Bag Program to equip officers with first-aid backpacks in patrol vehicles.
Stocked with additional medical supplies, the backpacks will enable officers to provide swift, effective care when they are first at a scene.
The Casualty Care Breakout Bag program was initiated by Cst. Dion Roy in February 2023 after identifying a need for specialized medical equipment in patrol units for use during emergencies.
Cst. Dion's experience, alongside a parallel proposal from Det. Han Ho for large-scale critical events, revealed an opportunity for officers to provide more immediate life-saving needs during an emergency that EMS is unable to attend to in a timely manner.
“Our members want to help people, to save people,” says Inspector Tom Bechthold. “We want our members to be well equipped and be able to attend tovictims when they arrive on scene if EMS is not immediately available”.
Patrol officers are equipped with Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs), but the kits are primarily intended for self-use. This led to Det. Han and Cst. Roy’s collaborative effort to create and facilitate the Casualty Care Breakout Bags program.
Over the next month, the bags will be distributed among all patrol branches, ensuring swift and effective response capabilities for each area. The bags will be managed through a pool system, allowing members to check them out as needed for their shifts.
The Edmonton Police Foundation, with support from the Enbridge Safe Community First Responder Program, funded the Casualty Care Breakout Bags initiative.