LPD receives new trauma kits

LAUREL, Miss. - The Laurel Police Department recently received 60 medical trauma kits.

Laurel Police Officer, Cpt. William Sparrow said, "The number one preventable cause of death associated with gunshot wounds and trauma is blood loss. And these kits give our officers the ability to either save their own life possibly or the life of someone else out on the street."

Officers have been trained to use the kits which will go on their belts.

The state issued the department trauma kits last year, but they were not accessible to wear on a belt. However, officers were still able to use them.

"I know of two cases. One, a stabbing, where a man was stabbed and cut his femoral artery and he was bleeding out. The patrol officers were applying pressure to the pressure points above the wound to slow the bleeding down. One of them put the tourniquet on him and stopped the bleeding before the EMT's actually got there," said Sparrow.

The trauma kits costs around $4,000. Officers said it is worth every penny to help save someone's life.

The trauma kits donation was spearheaded by Danny Avera, who is the father of Laurel Police Officer, Brock Avera.

Sanderson Farms, Howard Industries, B&R Supply, Chancellor Supply, and Hol-Mac Corporation helped fund this donation.