DETROIT, MICHIGAN – August 30, 2018 – The Spirit of Blue Foundation announced that it has awarded a Safety Equipment Grant to the Livonia Police Department (LPD) to outfit its entire force of 150 officers with tourniquets and duty belt pouches.  The Gen7 C-A-T Tourniquets were purchased through North American Rescue and the Tourniquet NOW! Pouches were donated by Blue Force Gear.  The grant was funded by a partnership with Law Enforcement United and is valued at $8,892.

Chief Curtis Caid, along with Officers Alex Maher and Dominic Michels, of the Livonia Police Department (left to right) received the tourniquet safety grant from Spirit of Blue Executive Director Ryan T. Smith (right).  Officers Maher and Michels employed a granted tourniquet in July to save a member of the community.

“On behalf of the members of the Livonia Police Department, I would like to thank The Spirit of Blue Foundation for this very generous grant,” stated Chief Curtis Caid.  “This grant will allow every officer to have immediate access to a lifesaving tourniquet, which may save a life of an officer or citizen.”

And in fact, the Livonia Police Department has already recorded a save with a granted tourniquet.  In July, LPD Officers Alex Maher and Dominic Michels responded to a medical emergency call and encountered an elderly woman whose medication port in her arm had become dislodged.  The woman had already experienced a massive amount of blood loss when they arrived on scene.  Reacting quickly, and captured by their body worn cameras, Officer Michels applied direct pressure to the wound while Officer Maher employed his granted tourniquet on the woman’s arm.  According to statements made by emergency room staff, who later treated the woman after she was transported to the hospital, her life was saved by their quick thinking and application of the tourniquet.

Tourniquets are vital pieces of medical equipment that officers require on the road in the event of a traumatic injury to an extremity. When only precious minutes exist to treat such an injury, tourniquets are able to be applied individually or on a fellow officer to prevent excessive blood loss until that individual can be placed into medical care.  As a secondary benefit, officers who carry a tourniquet are also able to use them to rescue a member of the community who may have experienced a similar type of injury.

To date, Spirit of Blue has granted 2,196 tourniquets nationwide and four documented Community Saves have been made as a result.

“Tourniquets are quickly becoming one of our most granted pieces of equipment,” explained Ryan T. Smith, Executive Director of the Spirit of Blue Foundation.  “The reason is because they are more affordable than many other pieces of safety equipment and, sadly, officers need this type of lifesaving device more and more as their landscape changes and threats to their lives become more prevalent.”

Law Enforcement United (LEU), the grant’s sponsor, is an organization of 1,000 active and retired police officers who honor fallen officers and raise funds to assist charitable organizations that serve the law enforcement community.  Each year members of the organization ride 250 miles or more into Washington, DC to participate in National Police Week events and carry flags in honor of each fallen officer which are given to the surviving families upon their arrival.  Since its founding in 2009, LEU has raised over $5,750,000 for law enforcement causes.

Statistics released by the Officer Down Memorial Page show that 98 law enforcement officers have already lost their lives in 2018 – a 5% increase over the same period in the year previous.  38 of those deaths were firearm related, a 23% increase over the same period in 2017.  The reality of these statistics, and the increasing number of underfunded law enforcement agencies across the country, fuel the Spirit of Blue safety grant initiative.

The Spirit of Blue Foundation actively encourages the public at large to honor and appreciate law enforcement officers who serve and protect our communities. By supporting the Spirit of Blue Foundation, the public can make an impact in the lives of law enforcement officers every day. To learn more about the Spirit of Blue, or make a donation, visit www.spiritofblue.org.