June 19, 2020 – The Midland Fire Department has received a generous donation of five (5) Carter Kits™ Sensory Bags from Fisher Companies that will assist the department in helping children with special needs during traumatic events. The kits were presented to MFD and all other Midland County fire departments during a brief ceremony at Fisher Companies offices on Friday, June 19.
Carter Kits™ contain items known to comfort and appropriately focus children who are on the autism spectrum, as well as many other children who occasionally find themselves overwhelmed or otherwise impacted by traumatic events. Each kit contains a weighted blanket, sunglasses, noise-reducing earmuffs, 24 sensory toys, and a non-verbal cue card.
“Having Carter Kits™ available at our stations and on our emergency vehicles gives us an extra set of tools to help children in need during emergency situations,” said Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Mosher. “Events such as a car accident, medical emergency, or fire can be especially overwhelming for kids with special needs and it sometimes requires additional resources to provide the best care possible. We’re grateful to Fisher Companies for making this donation that will allow us to better comfort and care for children in our community.”
Carter Kits™ Sensory Bags were developed from an idea by Saginaw Township Police Department detective Justin Severs. Det. Severs recognized the need to equip as many police, fire and emergency medical service vehicles as possible with the means to calm distressed children like his son, Carter, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
For more information on Carter Kits, visit www.carterkits.com
