ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With blaring sirens, blinding lights and a sterile interior, an ambulance is not necessarily a pleasant place to be.
Allentown paramedic John Hirschbeck said that's especially true for children with autism or sensory processing disorders.
As a father of a young boy with autism, Hirschbeck said the importance of first responders having knowledge about and resources for children with special needs hits close to home.
That's why he and a few other Allentown paramedics worked to provide Carter Kits Sensory Bags in their ambulances.
“For us, it’s something we see with our kids, and we know it can be scary,” Hirschbeck said. “So, helping them out, anyone in the City of Allentown, wherever we go, is our job and a lot of these tools are here just to help us take care of them and just make things a little less scary.”
How it started
In recognition of April as National Autism Awareness Month, Allentown EMS introduced Carter Kits Sensory Bags to its ambulances. The kits enable paramedics to be better prepared for emergency situations involving children and other individuals with autism or other sensory processing disorders.
Justin Severs, a detective with the Saginaw Township Police Department in Michigan, founded Carter Kits with friends when he realized police, fire and EMS vehicles needed tools to equip first responders to help special-needs children in an emergency.
His son, Carter Severs, has autism spectrum disorder. With his son in mind, Justin Severs had a goal to make sure emergency vehicles had equipment to calm children in distress and help them understand first responders were there to help.
The kits include a weighted blanket, sunglasses, noise canceling earmuffs, communication tool cards, sensory toys and fidget devices.
Equipping ambulances
With five frontline ambulances in service at a time in the Lehigh Valley's largest city, Hirschbeck said Allentown EMS has five kits to keep onboard at all times.
"Whatever it is, we’re going to make sure that you’re going to go home at the end of the day."John Hirschbeck, Allentown EMS paramedic
Though the kits are designed to aid those with sensory disorders, Hirschbeck said, the best part is it can also aid any child who is stressed in an emergency or experiencing a tough day.
The communication tool cards, he said, are particularly helpful in illustrating a situation to someone who might not fully understand what is going on in an emergency.
The cards include three case scenarios represented through a series of pictures, which can indicate whether one is headed to the police station, the fire station or the hospital.
Each scenario ends with the same conclusion — a photo of home.
"We want them to understand that this isn’t a permanent thing,” Hirschbeck explained. “This is just to get you feeling better. Maybe you might go to the police station or come see the firehouse. Whatever it is, we’re going to make sure that you’re going to go home at the end of the day.”
'A no-brainer'
On the other side of the tool cards' tri-fold paper, there is a list of “wants,” including the items in the kit, as well as the option for food and water.
There is also a “How do you feel?” chart, with different emotions — angry, upset, frustrated, OK and happy, alongside photos of emoticons.
Hirschbeck said that's helpful for first responders to communicate with an individual who is non-verbal, or someone who is too overwhelmed to speak.
Mehmet Barzev, chief of operations for Allentown EMS, said a few staff members came to him about a year ago with the proposal for Carter Kits to make transport easier for patients.
“When it came to me, I said, ‘Absolutely, that’s a no-brainer, let's work on that,’” he said.
He said his staff did the legwork in getting the project off the ground, and the department had the ability to purchase the kits for about $500 total with its own equipment budget.
Barzev said the team considered creating its own kits by buying its own materials, however, they found it would be more expensive. Additionally, he said, with Carter Kits being a nonprofit organization, they decided it would be better to support it.
Barzev said five kits was the most the team could get its hands on by April 1. He hopes Allentown EMS can purchase more in the future for more first responder teams.
“I think for the impact it’ll have, it’s just a drop in a bucket of cost,” he said.
Besides using Carter Kits, Allentown paramedics are raising money to donate to Autism Society Lehigh Valley for the second year in a row. They're selling custom City of Allentown patches, decorated with colorful puzzle pieces to commemorate National Autism Awareness Month.
Those interested in buying patches or stickers, can contact Allentown EMS, Hirschbeck said.
