WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Officers are working to ensure kids can be kids, no matter what they are going through.

It’s a sad reality but sometimes kids get caught in the middle of things most adults don’t even want to go through. This can have a lasting negative impact on their lives.

However, now there is a resource first responders can use to give kids who are experiencing trauma some peace of mind.

First responder Kits4Kids are small bags first responders can give kids on the scene of emergencies like domestic violence calls and car crashes. Each kit even has a handwritten note of encouragement.

On Wednesday at the Convention Center, the Wilmington Police Department came together to assemble 100 kits.

“It will help keep their minds off of the situation that’s going on at home, the crisis that’s going on in that household. So I believe it’s an important asset to have for them to play and just keep their minds off of what’s going on,” said Officer David Savage.

The kits have Rubik’s cubes, crayons, Play-Doh, mini first responder emergency vehicles, and a disposable play pad that has over 25 activities kids can play.

The kits are made to bring kids comfort and allow first responders to build stronger relationships with the youngest members of the community.

“It’s important to build relationships in the community, especially with young children. We want them to look up to us as someone they can talk to, someone they can count on and I believe this is going to be a great asset to that,” said Officer Savage.

“At the end of the day, we are all parents. We all live in this community and in that situation, we would all want to have resources available to us,” said Kevin Gatlin, a founder of First Responder Kits4Kits.

James Fisher-Davis, who founded First Responder Kits4Kids with Gatlin says he hopes this will also encourage kids to work as first responders once they grow up. Fisher-Davis, says he had a long career in law enforcement and knows the big difference small interactions can make.

“We’re hopeful that this will help us establish some more home-grown first responders. Individuals who were maybe given a kit at some point in time when they were young and it was a dire time in their lives,” said Fisher-Davis.

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