Operation Red River Ready Donates Potentially Life-Saving Multi-Tools to Fargo Police Department

The tools allow someone involved in a submersion vehicle accident to cut their seatbelt, smash a car window, and whistle for help.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – They call themselves Operation Red River Ready – a group formed under the umbrella of the FMWF Chamber.

“We all have to do a CCI project, which is a community change initiative project, so we talked about our 3-in-1 safety tools,” said Karmen Riley.

Those tools hold great personal significance for Operation Red River Ready.

Their mission to get them to members of the public is inspired by the memory of Taryn Paul, a teenager from Morris, Minnesota, who died in 2017 after a vehicle submersion accident.

The tools feature a seatbelt cutter, a whistle, and an end that allows one to smash open a car window. That means they’re vitally useful in a life-threatening vehicular accident situation.

The Fargo Police Department has agreed to help hand out some of the 3,000 tools Operation Red River Ready has amassed, looking to help advance the goal of turning tragedy into a force for good.

“We do get to see a lot of negative, and it’s nice to have these opportunities for outreach with the public in a positive way,” said Officer Patrick Thomas.