News and Announcements

Based upon input from previous EMS interest surveys, the Illinois Flex Grant invested in nine active shooter tactical bags, to be given out to rural EMS agencies. The project was kicked off by inviting the critical access hospital emergency departments and EMS agencies to listen to an in-depth dissection of the Active Shooter incident that took place in late 2018 in a hospital in Illinois.  A police officer and two hospital employees were killed in that incident. The EMS personnel that responded that day walked the listener through the incident and highlighted the challenges of handling an incident like this within the walls of a hospital. After that education, the Flex team worked with a representative from State Fire, EMS, and Police agencies to determine the most useful items needed in the active shooter bags. A subject matter expert was located to purchase and assemble the bags.  The heavy duty multi-compartment bags contains such supplies such as combat tourniquets, QuikClot Gauze, bandages, NP airways, and Rescue Litter to move people to safety.

In order to qualify for an EMS bag, the rural EMS and their partner rural hospitals put together a short presentation for other EMS agencies.  The presentation could be on many different topics, but it needed to relate to EMS or EMS/ED collaboration. For more information or to obtain a bag for your hospital, contact Laura Fischer, Flex Grant Coordinator, at [email protected] or call 815.875.2999.

Shown right are Ethan Leynes and Crystal Alexander of Kirby EMS.