If a loved one was experiencing a life-threatening situation where they were bleeding uncontrollably, and it was not stopping, would you know what to do? Under the instruction of WISER Director of Operations, Tom Dongilli, WISER staff participated in the Stop the Bleed program. This collaborative effort is a national awareness campaign to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before EMS or healthcare professionals arrive. The focus of this program is to immediately respond to the bleeding, recognize where the bleeding is coming from and take appropriate action to Stop the Bleed.
There are protocols to follow when these situations occur. First remain calm, assure your location is secure and safe, assure where the victim is secure and safe, then follow the ABCs of Bleeding. The ABC?s are:
- A = Alert- Call 911 or tell someone to call 911
- B = Bleeding ? Find the bleeding injury
- C = Compress ? Cover and apply pressure to stop the bleeding or use a tourniquet or pack the wound with gauze/clean cloth and then apply pressure
After a presentation by Tom, WISER staff were able to learn how to use a tourniquet safely on themselves, and then on each other. This allowed the staff to see how tourniquets can be used in a life-threatening bleed. Staff then demonstrated what they learned on mannequin arms, legs, and bleeding trauma modules. With the right training, YOU can help save lives!