WILMINGTON, N.C. — When you need to call 911, odds are you’re in a distressing situation. That can be extra hard when a kid is involved.
That’s why two dads in the Charlotte area wanted to create a program that would be able to help distract kids after a stressful situation.
They came up with First Responders Kits4Kids. In less than a year, that effort spread to 22 counties across the state, including New Hanover County, where officers with the Wilmington Police Department recently put together 100 kits.
When Capt. John Musacchio responds to a scene, he wants to make sure that any kids present at the time are not only safe, but happy. That’s why he and other members of the Wilmington police are assembling Kits4Kids.
“It brings me joy to see a kid be happy 'cause I don’t like to see anybody cry, especially a child,” Musacchio said. “We’re trying to build positive interactions by giving the children something to start the healing from their traumatic event.”
These kits were designed to help comfort children in emergency situations, helping to distract them with Play-Doh, puzzles, a play pad with over 25 activities and even kind messages from the officers themselves.
“I’m writing here, I’m saying you’re loved,” Musacchio said. “And what I want to let the children know is that even though this is a bad incident, that they’re still loved and appreciated by everybody.”
Musacchio says he has always tried to ease any long-lasting trauma that a child might experience from these difficult situations.
“I would go to scenes,” he said, “And sometimes after it, if the kid was traumatized or something traumatic happened, I would usually go out with other officers, and we’d go to a CVS or something and then bring it back to the house to try to cheer them up.”
The police department put together 100 of these kits — so that’s 100 less stops at stores for Musacchio, and 100 more kids that can get the comfort they need instantly. They’re joining responders from other counties across the state who know the importance of having this extra tool when responding to a call.
Musacchio says he hopes these kits will show the public that he and his fellow first responders care deeply about the community they serve.
“When they’re in a tragic situation like this, just having them smile brings me joy to know that they’re at least having a little bit of fun,” Musacchio said. “Or I’m taking away a little bit of the pain.”
Kevin Gatlin and James Fisher-Davis, the founders of the First Responders Kits4Kids program, say they’re happy that children are benefiting across the state, and after seeing the kits’ success in the past year, they now hope they’ll be able to spread their value nationally.