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In its inaugural initiative as a non-profit, Project Tribute Foundation has a goal to raise funds to purchase approximately 200 tourniquets for first responders in the Bartlesville area.

Executive Director Jon Beckloff said their mission is to aid our first responders and their lifesaving capabilities. Beckloff said tourniquet are one of the simplest tools in a first aid kit. He said it's essential for each of our first responders to have one on their person.

A tourniquet allows first responders to quickly cinch up a wound where there is significant blood loss. Beckloff said tourniquets can save lives, especially if someone suffers an arterial wound. He said they can help slow heavy bleeds caused by gunshot wounds.

All first responders have access to a tourniquet (pictured below) in their vehicles, but they don't have the tourniquet on them. Beckloff said they want to get tourniquets for first responders that they can wear on their duty belts. He said having the tourniquet on the first responder's person instead of in their vehicle would allow them to apply medical treatment in a first aid situation where every second matters. 

There are several different ways to give if you wish to help Project Tribute Foundation achieve their public safety goal. Beckloff said they have a Venmo and PayPal set up with the username of Project Tribute Foundation. He said they're even working on a Facebook fundraiser. The Project Tribute Foundation Facebook page can be found here.

Beckloff said he's created an Amazon Wish List on their Facebook page as well. He said you can click on the Amazon link, pay for the tourniquets on Amazon, and Amazon will ship the item directly to Project Tribute's P.O. Box. The Amazon Wish List can be found here.

If you'd rather mail a check to help with this effort, you can send the check to Project Tribute Foundation. Their address is P.O. Box 1318, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

One holster and 13 tourniquets have been purchased through Amazon so far. Beckloff said they've reached out to some donors and looked at grant opportunities, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. He said this effort will last until they can get a tourniquet into the hands of every first responder in the Bartlesville area.

Holsters range from $20 to $49, but Beckloff said they picked a brand of holster that was placed on a couple of Bartlesville officers over a year ago. He said it's the type of holster that works well for our first responders and that would be critical in the field when applying first aid.

To learn more about Project Tribute Foundation, visit their Facebook page or go to projecttribute.com.