You Need To Learn Bleeding Control
In some situations, you actually are the help until the help arrives. Let that sink in. Read that again. It’s up to you to help. When I hear accounts of people bleeding out because no one knew what to do or had supplies; it makes me even more determined to be even more prepared.
Setting a Good Example of Preparation
The inspiration for the plan to have equipment and training began when I
took a defensive shooting course with Rob Pincus, an author, trainer, and Intuitive Defensive Shooting instructor. I took a firearms and self-defense
training course.
One of the first things he did in the class was to toss a small package onto
the ground between the students and the targets. He told us what was in it, and to not move it.
It was an IFAK – Individual First Aid Kit – with four items; tourniquet, gauze, bandages, and a clotting agent. That got my shooting partner and myself thinking – we are prepared in so many other areas of our lives, so this also was an appropriate time for preparation. Accidents happen.
We learned that many range officers actually carry a similar kit on their
ankle every day. Just. In. Case. No one plans to have an accident; it’s how we
prepare for one that can make an enormous difference.
Taking Avoiding Actions and Accepting Responsibility
As a sailboat captain, I’m familiar with the maritime law that says if there
was a collision, there was a chance of collision, and if you had a collision,
then you should have taken avoiding actions.
After a collision, you cannot report to a maritime judge that there was no chance of collision. If there was no chance, it could not have happened.
Applying this chain of events to my high school classroom, it means now I
cannot ignore that we actually do have guns in the school.
There is a chance of injury, and if there is a chance, I feel we have a duty to take action – be prepared, and be trained.
Setting Learning Goals
As with any endeavor, I want to learn thoroughly when there’s a skill in which I’m expected to, or want to, participate.
Once our school district enacted a Guardian Program last summer that included school administrators carrying firearms on campus, I brought a bleeding control kit to school for my classroom.
Although I had the kit, I had no more than my annual First Aid and CPR training. Since I knew that was not enough, I needed a jump-start to get going on training.
How We Chose Professional Training
My boyfriend Bill had been taking emergency preparedness courses online, ordering and reading books, and researching quality training. Like me, if he is interested in something, he dives in, seeks details, consults subject matter experts, and is incredibly thorough in his efforts.
He found Crisis Medicine, and for the next month, worked on completing the online course from the sofa.
I not only heard blow-by-blow details of the class, I could even hear the entire course from my studio as I wrote about sailing, cycling, SCUBA diving and sunscreen. The voice of Dr. Mike Shertz drifted through the house, presenting ballistics, tourniquets, wound wrapping, and more.
In the beginning, I would hear lengthy explanations beginning with “Dr. Shertz said.” Although I had already heard what Dr. Shertz said as he said it, listening to the recap through Bill’s filter and viewpoint was informative.
For Christmas, along with a pile of reference books and other gifts was an enrollment of my own into the Tactical Casualty Care Online Course – TC2. Quality is not cheap, so, Bill’s gift of this course to me was an indication of in how high esteem he held the training, since he purchased it twice at full price.
The Practicality of Training
The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, and the more I realized that bleeding control training is exactly what the Stop the Bleed initiative is trying to promote.
On their website, it says bleeding control training is “intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.”
The training offered on their site is solid, and is a great starting point. Once you complete it, you may be inspired to seek more. I’ve got a suggestion.
Why Everyone Needs Training
To add to my determination to fully engage in my training, on the Crisis Medicine website, the statistics below caught my attention and confirmed the need for being prepared. Not paranoid – but simply prepared. Read below:
“In any event, law enforcement arrives on average four minutes after the first 911 call; EMS arrives 4-10 minutes later. This means that in the first 10 minutes, any care a casualty receives is either performed by private citizen bystanders (First Care Provider) or others involved in the event and secondarily, law enforcement. Many casualties can die within this time frame without life-saving intervention.”
As a SCUBA diver, sailboat captain, cyclist, I’m often away from immediate assistance. Even on a daily basis, I’m in and out of work, grocery stores, gas stations, and accidents can happen anywhere. The more training I have, the more assistance I can offer. It’s an awful feeling to not be able to help.
Crisis Medicine – Get the Best
Taught by an Emergency Room Physician with decades of experience as a Special Forces Medic, the Crisis Medicine training is very graphic and very comprehensive, covering everything from tourniquets to ballistics to wound packing and bandaging.
You will not feel patronized; you will experience a thorough approach beginning with foundational information upon which you build your knowledge. With no loyalties to brands, he demonstrates and offers testing results of what works and what does not; putting to rest plenty of hearsay and common misinformation.
My First Aid and CPR annual course simply did not have enough depth and breadth for active school shooter training. So, I highly recommend the one from Crisis Medicine. In fact, I learned so much from the training, that I have been writing a lot about the topics and the training, hoping teachers will take this new responsibility seriously.
In a collaboration with Crisis Medicine, I’m able to offer you a 20% discount; just use my code, “DeepWH” at checkout for the TC2 course.
Other Training Options
There are other trainings available. The quality of them varies. Here are some more ideas:
Department of Homeland Security
There are three courses offered on the Department of Homeland and Security, DHS, website; you might have heard of “Stop the Bleed.”
The first, “You are the Help Until the Help Arrives,” is offered by DHS and is a very basic online video course.
The second, “Bleeding Control for the Injured” is an in-person course. Click the link to learn more about locations and times.
The third, “First Care Provider,” is an online video course with actual content such as how to place a tourniquet, but no wound packing.
North American Rescue
North American Rescue has a series of training videos covering everything from chest seals to extractions.
There is no charge for these.
Tactical Medical Solutions
Tactical Medical Training Resources and Videos is a video gallery of single-topic videos.
TacMed Solutions’ Online Training Portal
TacMed University – according to the website is an e-learning/information sharing platform where you will find relevant information on pre-hospital trauma treatment and equipment. Their list says some of the courses and information include:
–Information on TacMed and other trauma products
-Tactics
-Discussion groups
-Published clinical reports, studies, and papers
-Free or low-cost online classes and training
-Associate Trainer Program members’ training content
-Case studies on incidents and uses
-Anything relevant we can find to help you succeed!
I have received an invitation, and have signed up for the courses. However, I haven’t started on this training yet since I have a couple others, including a DAN course to complete first. Please let me know if you complete any of this set and how you like it.
Suggestions for Training
Other online courses are available, and tons more reference materials and videos are posted online.
If anyone comes across any that we can use for certification points; please let us all know.
I do plan to submit my Crisis Medicine certificate to my own school district and see if I qualify for any of those hours spent taking the class as CEU’s – continuing education units – for re-certification purposes.
What to Read and Watch Next:
What’s in the bleeding control kit I assembled for my classroom, and detailed reasons for each item’s choice: What’s In My Classroom Bleeding Control Kit
Or, Read This Next: Classroom Bleeding Control Kit // High School Teacher Packing in the Classroom
Something to Watch: I Was Given a Counterfeit Tourniquet For My Classroom During National Stop the Bleed Month
Using my links helps me continue to bring free content to you, and increase the number of supplies in my own CFAK. I usually add a few more items to my bag every couple paydays, so thank you in advance for your care for your own students and co-workers’ safety.
We Don’t Go Anywhere Without:
- Stream2Sea Reef Safe SPF 20 or 30 mineral, regular or tinted sunscreen, mask defog, shampoo, conditioner, rash guards and more reef-safe supplies. Use my code “DeepWH” for 10% off. The packages are biodegradeable – not just recycled and recyclable.
- Crisis Medicine Tactical Casualty Care Course knowledge so we can help ourselves. With code “DeepWH” you save 20% on the TC2 course
- MyMedic Individual Bleeding Control Kits, this link and my code “DeepWH15” will save you 15% on your purchase. We take ours everywhere.
- North American Rescue Individual Bleeding Control Kit in a Vacuum Sealed Pouch these are great to keep in your car or office.
- Cycle Booty Citrus Cleanser and Post Ride Cream.
- Airbnb, “Kimberly gave you up to $55 off your first trip.”
- Airbnb says, “Deep gave you up to $415 off your first adventure.
- Uber gives you $2 off your first three rides.
- Travelex is our trip insurer – click for a free quote.
- Girls That Scuba – members discount card for all things diving.
- REI Co-op for great sports equipment and travel clothes.
- Sailo for $100 off your next boat rental! Discount Code: “KimWa1”
- PierShare to rent your dock out or rent a dock.
- BoatUS for your boat towing insurance! Code: “HEWAF88”
- RoadId for $5 off your cycling/running/kayaking/travel id.
- Dazer Ii Ultrasonic Aggressive Dog Deterrent Repeller Dazzer – keeping dogs at bay while we cycle.
- Guardline Security Wireless Driveway Alarm – alerts us when someone approaches. Less expensive directly from the company.
- Thank you for using my links – your price does not change, but they may gift me a small percentage of your sale in return for my mention, which allows me to continue to bring to you fun content.
- AD: affiliate links used.
Thank you Bill for being the Best Sailing Partner EVER!
