Community members donated much-needed equipment to treat victims of trauma to Dallas police.
Carol Archer said she was compelled to act after the police ambush in July that claimed the lives of four Dallas police officers and a DART officer.
The items were donated this week at the Southwest patrol station, where the four Dallas officers were assigned.
“I was just devastated by what happened downtown and felt compelled to do something,” Archer said.
Deputy Chief Albert Martinez, who oversees the southwest division, said he welcomes the efforts of community members to help his officers.
“On July 7, because we didn’t have all of our medical equipment on us, our officers had to expose themselves in order to provide medical treatment to officers that were fallen and wounded,” said southwest patrol Deputy Chief Albert Martinez said. “This was one of the biggest lessons that we learned.”
Initially, Archer raised money for cases for so that officers could carry tourniquets with them. On the night of the ambush, officers found themselves pinned down by gunfire and couldn’t get to their tourniquets.
But Archer realized that wasn’t enough.
Their personal kit has one tourniquet, one clotting gauze and other items, but was not enough to treat more than one person.
Archer then organized an effort to buy larger bag containing tourniquets, bandages and gauze that will allow them to treat more than one victim at a time until paramedics arrived.
The Oak Cliff Conservation League heard about Archer’s efforts and donated about $4,000 to help buy the larger bags.
Those were large bags were donated this week.
“I hope they never need to use this stuff, but if they do, they’ll have it,” Archer said.
Archer is still raising money to buy 20 rifle vests and ballistic helmets for the officers at central patrol. Those items will help protect officers form the rifle rounds. A regular bulletproof vest cannot stop a rifle round.
“Not all can afford to buy them,” Archer said. “I literally cried when I saw a young officer leaving to go downtown recently for the protests, knowing he did not have the vest and helmet.”
Archer says she is currently working to raise money to buy the tourniquet cases and big kits for the city’s six other patrol stations.
She has teamed up with 1078 Utah Foundation. Donations can be made directly through their account or through a GoFundMe account that has been set up.
