Special to IFN
Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to compassionate, trauma-informed care, Iredell County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has introduced a new tool to help calm and support children during emergencies — the Carter Kit.
Beginning this week, all County EMS vehicles are equipped with a Carter Kit, a sensory bag filled with calming tools designed to comfort children experiencing distress, particularly those on the autism spectrum. The kits were provided through the N.C. Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program and are available to EMS agencies statewide at no cost.
EMS Deputy Director of Support Services Robby Milton, who previously served as one of the 10 inaugural members of the N.C. Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator Program, championed the initiative locally. The Carter Kit was among the recommended resources identified by the program to improve pediatric emergency care across the state.
“The implementation of Carter Kits is a meaningful step forward in enhancing our ability to serve children experiencing traumatic events,” said Milton, who is also a certified Carter Kit instructor. “These kits provide our EMS crews with child-centered tools designed to offer comfort, reduce anxiety, and help responders build trust more quickly. By equipping every EMS response vehicle with a Carter Kit, we’re reinforcing our commitment to compassionate, trauma-informed care for the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community.”
Each Carter Kit includes a weighted blanket, noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses, and a non-verbal cue card — all intentionally selected by a neuropsychologist based on clinical research. The contents are reusable, cleanable, and replaceable. If any item is used in the field, the Carter Kits nonprofit will replace it at no cost.
The kit is named after Carter Severs, a child with autism, and was developed by his father, Justin Severs — a detective in Saginaw Township, Mich. — to better equip first responders with tools to support children with sensory sensitivities.
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the kits, visit https://carterkits.org/.