Health District, McQueen JROTC & Community Partners Provide Emergency Buckets to Area Middle Schools

Buckets designed to give first aid and other supplies in event of a Shelter In Place

Reno, Nev. Jan. 22, 2020. The Washoe County Health District (WCHD), Washoe County School District (WCSD), REMSA and area hospitals came together to support the McQueen High School Army JROTC’s effort to make sure students and faculty are prepared for an emergency.

The JROTC team delivered 60 “Emergency Buckets” to Billinghurst Middle School on Tuesday and will deliver 60 more to Clayton Middle School this week, after delivering over 100 to McQueen High School in May. These emergency buckets contain shelter-in-place and trauma supplies including gauze, trauma shears, tourniquets, blankets, gloves and trash bags.

“This is an excellent example of motivated students taking initiative and the community responding,” said Kevin Dick, Washoe County District Health Officer. “Kudos to McQueen JROTC and our local agencies and hospitals.”

The initiative started in 2019 when the McQueen JROTC team noticed that each classroom at McQueen had buckets of emergency supplies that were close to 10 years old and very basic. Tanner Lack, Cadet lieutenant Colonel (C/LTC) of the Lancer Battalion, appeared at the Inter-Hospital Coordinating Council (IHCC) to ask what type of items should be included in an emergency bucket and if anyone was interested in donating.

REMSA identified medical supplies and training for the buckets and area hospitals (Northern Nevada Medical Center, Saint Mary’s and Renown Health) and the Public Health Preparedness program at WCHD donated the supplies.

McQueen JROTC then approached IHCC in November to request more supplies to expand the program to two new schools: Billinghurst and Clayton Middle Schools. The request of supplies was granted by the area hospitals and the Health District. Lowe’s home improvement store will donate the buckets.

“WCSD is proud of the McQueen JROTC program for their efforts in emergency preparation and school safety,” said Roy Anderson, Emergency Manager for the Washoe County School District. “The emergency buckets are a great resource for our students and faculty in the event of an emergency.”

“It’s an honor to be able to help get emergency buckets to Billinghurst and Clayton middle schools,” said Lack, with the McQueen JROTC Lancer Battalion, who added they hope to get emergency buckets to more schools later this year. “While we hope these supplies will never have to be used, it’s nice to know that in case of an emergency situation that they could save a life.”

The Washoe County Health District is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making Washoe County District Board of Health. The District consists of five divisions: Administrative Health Services, Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Epidemiology & Public Health Preparedness. More info can be found here.