With mass shooting events and other street violence seemingly on the rise, an effort has been underway to make equipment and training available to the general public for the proper method of stopping excessive bleeding.
Some states have begun programs that fund the placement of special bleeding control kits to be placed in public locations. In addition, a national outreach and advocacy program called ‘Stop The Bleed’ has focused on educating the general public on how to stop severe bleeding.
One of these training programs will be held later this month in Logandale and will be offered free to the public.
Logandale resident Tim DeBerardinis, a volunteer firefighter from Logandale Station #73, said that he began planning to teach the local ‘Stop The Bleed’ course several weeks ago, well before the Las Vegas mass shooting incident on October 1 occurred.
“I just wanted to make the information available to local residents so that people know what to do in those situations,” DeBerardinis said. “But with this recent event, there has been a lot of focus on these types of programs throughout the region. There have been numerous requests for the class.”
The two hour free course offers instruction and hands-on training on what to do when faced with a severe bleeding scenario, DeBerardinis said.
The class instructs in the use of standard equipment and supplies often provided in blood control kits. It provides experience in the use of hemmorhage control devices, the proper application of tourniquets, the use of Israeli bandages, and how to treat a wound with quick clot materials.
But the class also covers what can be used to stop bleeding if one doesn’t have access to these types of devices and equipment.
“We will cover what you can use to dress wounds from materials that most people have on hand,” DeBerardinis said. “We will talk about how you can use clothing, shirts, socks, ties – whatever is on hand – to effectively stop the bleeding.”
The class includes about an hour of classroom instruction followed by an hour of hands-on experience.
“We will offer a controlled environment, where there is no stress of life-threatening situations, where people can develop a muscle memory and work these things out to gain the confidence of knowing what to do,” DeBerardinis said. “Having these kinds of skills can make the difference in the outcome of a life in these situations.”
DeBerardinis points out that some of the images and situations presented in the training show graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers. He recommends that class members be at least 18 years old or older. Younger children should be accompanied in the class by a parent.
The class will be held at the Logandale Fire Station on Saturday, October 21 from 9 – 11 am. Those interested can register for the class at www.bleedingcontrol.org. Or just show up on the day of the class.
For information contact DeBerardinis at info@discoversafety.com. The class is free.
