Firefighter invents trauma bag he hopes schools, government buildings use

“What we’re noticing is it’s taking a lot longer to get to the patients that need immediate treatment,” he said.

Letizia said it’s important to start care immediately for some trauma patients, so he invented an emergency bag of supplies that someone, with just a little training but no formal medical experience, can use at a scene.

The Immediate Action Care for Trauma (IACT) bags contain everything from tourniquets to bandages and blankets with step-by-step directions about how to use them properly until paramedics can arrive.

“If there was an incident, we’d be able to start treating patients a lot faster than waiting for first responders to get there,” he said. “It’s meant to walk someone who has no medical training at all right through the complete process of doing a patient assessment.”

Roswell officials are among the first in the country to utilize the IACT bags in their city hall.

Officer Zachary Frommer said the city has placed several of them in strategic locations.

“So that anyone, a co-worker, friend, anyone you might be hunkered down with can stabilize you long enough for rescuers to get to you,” he said. “Whether they’re placed strategically in the schools or mobile with school resources officers…and it does not take much training for the average citizen to use it.”

Letizia said he’s talking to several local school districts and other governments about purchasing the bags, which run about $500.

“It’s great at any large gathering place, the back of a patrol car, anywhere where you’re going to have a large amount of people,” he said.