Walmart Grant Provides Funding To Oswego Fire Department For Kits

OSWEGO, IL — A $5,000 grant that was provided by Walmart will be used by the Oswego Fire Protection Unit to purchase safety kits that will be used by students within the Oswego public school district.

The grant helped to purchase 150 bleeding control kits, which include a permanent marker, tourniquet, emergency bandage, compressed gauze, a pair of trauma shears and gloves. Walmart provides a grant each year which is then used by either the Oswego Police Department or Fire Protection Unit.

The American College of Surgeons introduced the national public awareness program, “Stop the Bleed” in 2015 after studies showed that the top cause of preventable death from an injury is bleeding. The items found in each kit are included to improve an injured person’s chances at survival, according to a news release announcing this year’s grant. With the kits being provided to area students, the key to the kits is simplicity, according to Oswego Fire Chief Mike Vesseling.

“The tourniquets that are contained in the Bleeding Control Kits are very simple to operate,” Vesseling said in the release. “An individual is able to apply the pressure and then lock it into place with a Velcro strap. If the tourniquet needs to be tightened or pressure released, it can be done easily through the movement of the Velcro strap.”

Illinois is one of the first eight states in the country to introduce and enact legislation that is built around using components of the Stop The Bleed initiative. A bill has been introduced in the United States Senate that would expand distribution kits to students around the country, the news release said. Oswego school officials are excited to be ahead of the curve in keeping local students safe in the case of injuries.

“We are excited to get these kits out into our buildings and placed in the AED stations,” John Sparlin, superintendent of Oswego schools said in the release. “This is the perfect example of multiple entities working together for a great cause.”