UPMC Strengthens Public Safety Partnership with Donation of Trauma Kits to Pittsburgh Police
By: Beth Mausteller
UPMC is expanding its commitment to community health and safety through a significant new investment in the preparedness of Pittsburgh’s first responders.
Mayor Corey O’Connor and UPMC president and CEO Leslie Davis recently announced that UPMC is donating 229 medical trauma kits to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The kits will equip officers with medical supplies to provide critical care in emergency situations – even before emergency medical services arrive.
“At UPMC, we know that whether care begins in an emergency department, an ambulance, or on a city street, the goal is the same: helping people get care when they need it most,” Davis said. “That’s why we are pleased to provide these trauma kits, along with training support, to help protect Pittsburgh residents every day.”
The donation includes:
● 160 medical trauma kits for front-line police patrol vehicles. Each kit contains two tourniquets, chest seals, emergency trauma dressings, trauma shears and hemostatic gauze.
● 65 individual medical trauma kits for SWAT officers and tactical paramedics.
● Four disaster and mass casualty response bags containing advanced bleeding control equipment, airway and breathing supplies, warming blankets and blood administration sets.
UPMC will offer training to officers on proper use of the kits and acute care skills, and will replenish supplies to make sure the kits remain fully stocked and ready for use.
Mayor O’Connor said the donation will help officers provide immediate assistance during emergencies.
“Every second matters in a medical emergency and when our police are the first on the scene, they’ll now have access to medical trauma kits to start providing critical care until EMS arrives,” O’Connor said. “I’d like to thank UPMC for once again stepping up and investing in our first responders so that they can help provide life-saving support to our communities.”
Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando noted that officers are frequently the first to respond during critical incidents and often provide lifesaving aid before additional medical resources arrive. “These trauma kits will provide our officers with another critical tool when they are called upon to respond to emergencies and help save lives,” Lando said.
The donation marks another milestone in UPMC’s longstanding support of the city of Pittsburgh’s emergency response infrastructure. Including this latest contribution, UPMC has committed a total of $35 million toward modernization of the bureau of EMS’s vehicles and equipment.
Together, these investments underscore UPMC’s mission-driven commitment to improving health, advancing public safety and supporting the communities it serves.
