Nashua, NH First Responders Get 'Active Shooter Kits'

NASHUA, NH (CBS) - With the increase in mass shootings, first responders are looking for new tools to save lives. Nashua, NH is preparing to use what they call active shooter response kits.

"This kit has 25 quick tourniquets," said Jason Preston from the American Medical Response ambulance company.

That organization just got four of the kits, which also include a stretcher that unfolds on the run, a special blood clotting material, and bandages.

"You slap them on right over the bleed, direct pressure and you can tighten up the bandage pretty hard right over the wound and control that bleeding. We would use these in any event where we had mass casualties," Preston explains.

The kits mean they can respond faster to more wounded people.

"Your standard ambulance without these kits can handle one maybe two patients with severe bleeding. These kits expand us to allow up to 20 people at a time," Preston said. "These high caliber rounds create major, large, war wounds, and you're going to have a lot of bleeding. Speed is the key. You get in, you get them stable as fast as you can, and you get them out and get them to a hospital."

The kits have "quick" bags filled with emergency equipment. You tear them off their velcro base and they can be given to first responders.

"Unfortunately we're seeing far too many of these incidents nationwide and we need to be prepared for those. These kits are one of the steps in the process of being prepared," according to Preston.

The Nashua Fire Dept. also has the active shooter kits. The city bought the kits with grant money from the Department of Homeland Security.