Ballistic Protection Vests
Cheyenne County EMS was awarded a St Francis New Generation Fund Grant of $2500 in 2019.
Cheyenne County EMS in collaboration with the Cheyenne County Sheriffs Department, Saint Francis Police Department, Cheyenne County Fire Department and the Cheyenne County Office of Emergency Management have identified a large gap in our readiness to respond to active shooter incidents. The operational tactics for handling an active shooter incident have significantly changed over the years. Some of the changes are the development of a specialized EMS group being rapidly deployed into the area of concern called a Rescue Task Force. This task force is charged with the rapid identification and triage of casualties, the immediate application of life saving medical procedures, and the rapid extrication of casualties to a safe zone. As community minded members, we have to face the realization that preparedness is absolutely necessary with the hopes our training will be just that…..training. We’ve also learned that expecting outside specialized resources to assist is not realistic as most active shooter incidents are resolved in less than 30 minutes. A recent FBI report on active shooter incidents concludes that they are as likely to occur in rural towns as our urban partners. No longer are we able to say, “It won’t happen out here”. Although this specific grant will be to equip one EMT with ballistic protection, our collaborative efforts continue with funding. Although none of us want to see this resource being actually deployed, we must be prepared in order to protect our schools, our daycares, our churches, and our communities. This funding is specifically for the rescue task force members to be located in Saint Francis.
