BERKELEY – The first set of wound kits have started to be delivered to the Central Regional School District to safeguard students and staff.
In the event of an emergency, these kits can help a staff person treat wounds before first responders arrive. They include various first aid supplies and a blanket. They can be thrown across a hallway if needed.
“Since I began as district superintendent in January 2024, it has been my priority to make the health, wellness and safety of students and staff a top priority,” Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder said. “These safety kits will make sure that our district is safe in the event of an emergency.
“Hopefully, we will never have to use these kits, but they are integral to the wellbeing of our staff and students,” she said.
The best locations for the kits were chosen by a team made up of CarneyRay-Yoder; Stewart Krentzman, the founder of the not-for-profit Survival+ For Schools; School Resource Officer Patrolman Thomas Eichen; and first responder and member of the Survival+ team Robert Baran. These included classrooms, main offices, guidance offices and media centers.
A few months ago, approximately 150 staff members at the two schools were trained on using the kits by Baran, who is also the Director of Emergency Services in Manchester, and his team.
Survival+ For Schools created the 45-minute training course. This made participants eligible to receive Certificates of Completion from the program developed by the American College of Surgeons.
“Training on how to use these wound kits are crucial to the safety of all staff and students in the district,” said Baran, who plans to offer another training this spring to staff who have not yet been certified.
Carney-Ray Yoder was happy the district received enough money to purchase the first 40 kits. Her goal is to raise enough money to purchase a kit for every classroom and high traffic areas including gymnasiums and auditoriums.
“I am excited to make the delivery of the first wound safety kits to Central Regional, said Krentzman, the founder of Survival+ For Schools, a not-for-profit. “As more donations come in, I look forward to supplying the district with more kits in the future.”
Make Our Schools Safe, founded by the family of Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed at the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, donated $10,000 to purchase the safety kits.
To raise the remaining $38,000 to purchase more kits, the district is encouraging community members to donate on a secure website: centralreg.k12.nj.us/article/1559322
For more information, visit survivalplusforschools.org
