This news item expired on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $1,000 to purchase Celox first aid kits from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Western Carolina on March 26, 2013 at the affiliate’s board meeting. NAMI Western Carolina is an affiliate of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. The organization advocates for access to services, treatment, supports research, and is committed to raising awareness around mental health issues.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and NAMI Western Carolina have had a long-standing and productive relationship through the implementation of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). CIT training educates and prepares law enforcement officers who come into contact with people with severe mental illnesses, intellectual/developmental disabilities or addictions issues on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of these illnesses and respond effectively and appropriately to people experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
“The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with NAMI and Western Highlands educating our officers in CIT. Together we have conducted almost 20 training sessions since 2007 for our Patrol Officers, School Resource Officers, Detention Officers, Telecommunicators, and Crisis Negotiation Team members. As recognition that these CIT trained officers have made to our county’s mental health population, NAMI has assisted us in outfitting lifesaving trauma kits. These kits are small enough for the officers to carry with them, and are equipped with tourniquets, Celox, and trauma dressings designed for clotting and stopping the large loss of blood in case that officer or a fellow officer is struck by gunfire. These medical kits have proven to be lifesavers in the military battlefields, and the same medical applications have saved the lives of law enforcement officers stateside,” Lt. Dale DenOuden stated.
For more information regarding the formal acknowledgement and acceptance of the award by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, please contact Natalie Bailey at (828) 250-4469.
For more information on NAMI Western Carolina, go to www.namiwnc.org or call (828) 505-7353.