BELLEVUE, Wash — Local blood supply leaders are speaking out about the pressure gun violence is putting on a threatened blood supply, after at least nine people were killed in a shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas on Saturday. Seven victims are being treated at trauma facilities.
While those seven recover, Bloodworks Northwest is on call ready to help provide blood they have set aside to respond to mass casualty disasters, should the need arise.
It's part of a new cross-country partnership called the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, or BERC, where blood banks save some blood in the case of an event like a mass shooting. It's an agreement between 30 blood banks in 41 states, to ship blood anywhere in the U.S.
"Just in case, something like that happens," said Dr. Kirsten Watson Alcorn, co-Chief Medical Officer, Bloodworks Northwest.
Alcorn said the disaster in Texas has not yet needed to activate BERC, but that they are ready and willing to help in case that situation changes.
"Patients often need transfusion support to get through an entire episode of care," Alcorn said.
Bloodworks Northwest provides blood to nearly all hospitals in the pacific northwest, and lately, they told KING 5 that much of it is going to victims of gun violence.
"Enough that we have had to use a lot of blood components to help save their lives," Alcorn said.
As a result of the shootings nationwide, they're now being proactive instead of reactive by participating in BERC. Washingtonians would get the same help in return if mass casualties were to happen locally.
Tyler Agosti was among the locals donating blood at Bloodworks NW on Monday.
"I mean I have family that lives in Texas, ya know?" Agosti said. "My cousins live in Texas. You never know. It's cool that there are networks that are being set up so the blood can get to the people that need it, and, ya know? You never know."
Still, Bloodworks Northwest's leaders stressed that donors are highly needed.
The Bloodworks location in Bellevue had 60 appointments on Monday, but they estimate needing about 1,000 donors per day across their nine locations to keep up with the local demands for blood.
Visit Bloodworks Northwest’s website if you are interested in learning how to donate blood to a local supply that leaders say is "threatened," and approaching "critical" levels.