By: Hope Durkee
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) — A new Arkansas state law allows residents the option to include their blood type on their driver’s license or state identification card.
The intention of the law is to be helpful in emergency situations by providing first responders with quick access to medical information. However, Arkansas currently does not allow ground ambulances to administer whole blood before reaching a hospital, but Springdale Fire Department Capt. Jason Guthrie said he sees value in having the additional medical information.
“We commonly deal with situations where we know little demographic or medical history for our patients, so that could be beneficial,” Guthrie said.
The state is working towards allowing paramedics to be able to administer whole blood in ambulances. Guthrie said he does not know when that change will take effect but is optimistic it will happen soon.
While it will be expensive for ambulances to carry whole blood and be able to distribute it, Guthrie said it will allow patients to receive immediate care. He said that he thinks the passing of a law to allow this would be groundbreaking and would increase the impact of blood type designation on IDs.
Rep. Randy Torres and Sen. Tyler Dees, both from Siloam Springs, sponsored the bill for blood type designation on IDs last year. Torres said the idea came from a letter he received from a local veteran.
“The letter stated that the American Legion had hosted two or three blood drives recently and how astonished he was that 99% of the people that were donating blood had no idea what their blood type was,” Torres said.
The veteran suggested that IDs function more like military dog tags and include blood type. Torres said he agreed and asked members of the freshman bipartisan legislative class to co-sponsor the bill. It passed unanimously in the House. Dees led the measure in the Senate, where it also passed without objection.
“I didn’t really realize the effect that this bill was going to have until the bill was passed,” Torres said. “Then I started getting phone calls from all across the nation.”
Torres said some callers expressed interest to do similar things in their state while others said the law could encourage more people to donate blood.
Torres said he also sees a benefit for rural areas. Since these communities usually have limited blood supplies, knowing what type someone needs could potentially save lives in emergency situations, especially because it is hard to have a large supply of O-, the universal blood type.
To receive blood type designation on their ID, residents need a signed form stating their blood type to purchase a new ID.