Port Washington Police: 'Better Prepared' to Respond to Trauma

Port Washington Police say they are better prepared to respond to life-threatening trauma, thanks to a New York-sponsored program put into place in September.

In the program, every law enforcement officer in the state receives a Law Enforcement Survival Kit, or LESK, after they complete training in “Tactical Emergency Casualty Care,” or TECC. New York’s Division of Homeland Security is implementing the program under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s initiative.

The kits feature the tools necessary to mitigate potentially life-threatening injuries in rapidly unfolding street scenarios, officials say. The kits contain a tourniquet, QuikClot gauze, pressure dressing, chest seal, nitrile gloves and a face shield for CPR.

In the TECC course, officers are trained in self-aid, one and two-handed tourniquet application, wound packing procedures and management of open chest trauma. These are skills not typically provided to officers, though they do receive routine first-aid training, officials said.

“It has proven to be an effective lifesaver already,” said Port Washington Police Chief James Salerno.

Within recent weeks, on two separate occasions, Port Washington police put this training and equipment to use in real worlds settings. For instance, Sgt. Kevin McCarroll, who is the TECC instructor for the agency, responded to a call for a “heavy bleeder.” A glass installer, the man had been injured when a plate glass window that he was working with shattered. The accident resulted in massive, uncontrolled, arterial bleeding, from both arms. Without intervention, a human can bleed to death in a matter of minutes from this type of injury, police say. Upon arrival McCarroll, with the assistance of Officers Joseph Nakelski, Suzanne Petrizzo and Lionel Puton, used tourniquets, QuikClot and pressure dressings on the glass installer, who is expected to make a full recovery, police said.

In another incident, Officer Petrizzo responded to a motor vehicle collision that resulted in injuries to one of the drivers. Glass fragments had cut the man’s left forearm, causing blood to spurt from the wound. Petrizzo recognized this life threat and applied her issued tourniquet to the man’s arm, stopping the bleeding. The patient was then transported to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Chief Salerno said the police district is providing ongoing training to its officers to ensure that they remain competent in these essential skills to keep themselves and the public safe.