“Stop the Bleed” is a national awareness campaign intended to train and equip bystanders to help during a bleeding emergency, until professional help is available.
People suffering from extreme blood loss can be helped by bystanders who have gone through proper training. Because bleeding can be reduced by trained bystanders, Stop the Bleed could result in many lives being saved in the event of traumatic injuries. Stop the Bleed techniques can effectively respond to bleeding emergencies from work related injuries, mass shootings, motor vehicle crashes, and even home injuries.
The Lincoln County Health Department has partnered with the Merrill Fire Department to bring Stop the Bleed to Lincoln County. Stop the Bleed supplies were made available by the Lincoln County Health Department through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement.
City of Merrill Fire Chief, Josh Klug, said “Stop the Bleed kits will be given to first responders for immediate assistance and will eventually make their way into government buildings, similar to AED kits.”
The Merrill Fire Department currently has staff members who are certified to teach Stop the Bleed training sessions to the public. Similar to CPR training, Stop the Bleed training sessions last about one hour and allow for hands on practice. Individuals who go through Stop the Bleed do not need any medical experience to be properly trained.
The sessions cover how to effectively stop bleeding by using the ABC’s of immediate response (Alert, Bleeding, and Compression). Free training sessions for groups can be arranged by contacting Josh Klug, Fire Chief, Merrill Fire Department at 536-2233 or [email protected]. For more information on Stop the Bleed, go to https://www.bleedingcontrol.org.