From left, Police Chief Tracy Roles, Play for Burk Board member Tyler Vaclaw, Project Tribute Foundation Executive Director/Founder Jon Beckloff, Play for Burk Foundation Board member and TCT Placement Specialist Kyle Ppool, and Fire Chief David Topping pose for a photo in front of the Tri County Tech Rescue Training Tower, which serves as a regional fire training facility.
Photos by Nikki LeGrand, Tri County Tech
Two local non-profit organizations have stepped up to provide equipment that could aid Bartlesville firefighters and the police department’s school resource officers in the event of a mass casualty situation.
Project Tribute Foundation, which is dedicated to helping first responders, and the Play for Burk Foundation, a local organization created to carry on the legacy of Burk Hansen after he passed away at 13 in an accident in 2015, provided 22 mass casualty triage kits for 11 fire trucks, as well as a kit for each of the police department’s three SROs.
The kits, which include tourniquets and other equipment that could be needed in a mass casualty emergency, were handed out during a brief gathering on June 2 at the Tri County Tech Rescue Training Tower, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a regional training center for area fire personnel.
Project Tribute Foundation Executive Director/Founder Jon Beckloff said he formed PTF to help provide life saving supplies, equipment and training to “heroes” — local and beyond. PTF conducts fundraisers and operates an online store.
“One hundred percent of the donations we receive go towards aiding our first responders and enhancing their life-saving capabilities,” Beckloff said. “Proceeds from the store will cover any business overhead such as postage, webpage costs, and salaries, while the remaining funds from the retail store will be added towards our first responder initiatives.”
Fire Chief David Topping said the kits will augment the department’s triage equipment and give firefighters and SROs another tool in the event of a mass casualty situation.
“We are deeply appreciative of this donation, which will help Bartlesville firefighters continue doing what they do best — serving the citizens of Bartlesville and Washington County,” said Topping. “Project Tribute Foundation and Play for Burk Foundation continue to make a real difference in our community through their generosity and dedication to service. We are grateful to them not only for this equipment, which is very much needed, but also for all they do for our community.”