Stop the Bleed program prepares campus community to respond to critical emergencies
More than 400 Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff have gained hands-on training and insights into responding to bleeding emergencies since Virginia Tech Emergency Management launched its Stop the Bleed program one year ago.
Stop the Bleed enables members of the campus community to take immediate action to help those experiencing a bleeding emergency while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive.
Launched nationally in 2015, Stop the Bleed is intended to better preparing the public to save lives through awareness of basic actions to stop life-threatening bleeding. The success of the program is founded in the recognition that bystanders will always be the first on the scene and can provide immediate, lifesaving aid when appropriately trained.
Currently, there are nearly 170 Stop the Bleed kits located across the Virginia Tech campus with hopes to expand the program to the National Capital Region and university facilities across the state in the near future.
The kits contain easy-to-use instructions, a combat application tourniquet, chest seals, emergency responder dressing, compressed gauze, trauma shears, and gloves. The kits are packaged in a vacuum-sealed pouch, and the items inside do not expire.
An up-to-date list of Virginia Tech Stop the Bleed kit locations can be found here.
Another key component of the program is the Stop the Bleed Bleeding Control (B-Con) classes hosted throughout the year by Emergency Management in partnership with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad. Since program launch, more than 400 students, faculty, and staff have participated in 25 classes over the past year.
While training is not required to use a Stop the Bleed kit, the university community is strongly encouraged to participate to gain a deeper understanding into bleeding control and take advantage of the unique opportunity for hands-on tourniquet and wound management practice.
“We’re proud to be able to offer this life-saving resource to the Virginia Tech community. We’ve seen strong engagement in the Stop the Bleed program during its inaugural year and look forward to expansion of the program in other university facilities across the state,” said Peter McCann, emergency planner at Virginia Tech.
Upcoming Stop the Bleed classes:
- March 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- April 30, from 2 to 4 p.m.
All members of the campus community can register for upcoming Stop the Bleed classes for free by clicking here. Individual departments can also host their own Stop the Bleed classes by contacting Emergency Management at 540-231-4873 or by email.
Departments interested in installing a Stop the Bleed kit should contact Emergency Management at 540-231-4873 or by email for more information.
