By EMS1 Staff
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina bill is aiming to keep children safe in case of a school shooting by requiring a “Jacob Kit” in every classroom.
WYFF4 reported that firefighter-paramedic Lt. Dan Byrne created the kits, which include a tourniquet, medical gloves, bandages, tape, scissors and gauze, and named them after Jacob Hall, who was killed in a school shooting in 2016.
Dan’s wife Angela, who is a 27-year veteran teacher, keeps one by her classroom door.
“If someone wants to get into our school, they will. They will. It’s about protecting ourselves should that happen,” Angela said.
“No matter how much we train, no matter how proficient we’ve become, the one thing we can’t overcome is time. And that’s the time that a child sustains an injury and the time that an emergency responder is actually kneeling by their side rendering aid,” Dan said.
Angela added that the kits would prevent hopelessness in an emergency situation.
“You know, I could deal with a shooter being in our classroom or in our school. But I cannot deal with the hopelessness of watching one of my students bleed to death when I could have something in place that could buy them some time,” Angela said.
The bill is set to be heard at the State House March 20.