New Jersey is on track to set new records for bias incidents, according to preliminary data from the state Office of Homeland Security, which earlier this month issued a report showing anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and antismitic incidents are on the rise.

Officials say there's no specific threat right now, but they want soft targets of domestic terrorism to be prepared for the worst.

Providing houses of worship throughout the state with so-called bleeding kits, packages of medical supplies to help victims in the event of an active shooter.

Organizations tell Melissa Rose Cooper they hope they'll never have to use the kits, but they're grateful for the tools and training should they need it.

It's sad that we have to in this world, you know, in the time we have to do that.

But I think, you know, you don't want this to be happen, but things are happening, you know, across the nation, I will say.

And the whole world at large, you know, So it's better to be prepared if you can even save one life.

That's important.

Harjinder Kehal, Secretary for the Board of Trustees at Guru Nanak Mission in Oakland, emphasizing the need to be able to act fast in case a Sikh temple is faced with a violent attack.

Little more than ten years ago, incident happened in Wisconsin's gurdwara.

There was an active shooting there.

People can die and died because of that.

And it's important in case of mass casualty, you know, when somebody is bleeding, if somebody has been taken care of within a few minutes, you know, stop the bleeding, their chances of survival are good.

So Kehal is happy to have taken part in one of the state's first training sessions, teaching houses of worship to properly use bleeding control kits.

The program is part of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security's counter Terrorism and Preparedness Missions.

We've administrated grant programs to help them procure target hardening equipment, security personnel and training resources.

We've provided them with security briefings, we've conducted risk assessments, and also provided specifically active shooter response training.

So the bleeding control kit distribution is just another facet of these efforts with what we're doing with houses of worship.

Across the state.

More than 7000 kids will be distributed to about 6400 places of worship across New Jersey as part of the program.

While there are no specific threats at this time, Charles Ambio, preparedness Division director for the NJOHSP, says the goal is to be proactive instead of reactive.

We hope that no one ever has to use one of these kids.

But the reality is that while law enforcement is out there diligently trying to thwart these events, we need to make sure people are prepared and should any event occur or an incident occur, we want to equip houses of worship with every resource in our toolbox to help them mitigate and respond to it.

According to the NJOHSP, statistics show, domestic extremists and homegrown violent extremists carried out 16 attacks on soft targets like churches, schools and transit systems across the country between 2018 and 2022, resulting in 60 deaths and 66 injuries.

I think the threats are always been there.

I just think more people are recognizing it.

Thomas Michaels, Chief Security officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West, New Jersey, says the kids are critical in saving lives since every second counts.

Because when law enforcement comes, right, they have one job to do and they and it can't be safe.

It has to be safe before that.

For that medical task force to come in behind them.

So that little gap in between is that's where these bleeding control kids for congregants, for the people that are on the scene, that can that can make that impact, could do the intervention and save lives.

And honestly, they could save and you could save yourself because part of the training is applying trauma kids to yourself.

Even though Khalil says the temple hasn't faced any significant threats.

He's glad the bleeding control kids are available.

One less worry so worshipers can pray and peace.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Melissa Ross Cooper.