(HOUSTON, TX) – The Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC), hospitals and EMS from across the area came together on March 31st for a successful National Stop the Bleed Day 2018 event (#NSTBD18). More than 120 participants received free training on how to properly apply a tourniquet and put pressure to an open wound. This event took place at the Cypress Creek EMS Education Building in Spring, Texas.
“We are so pleased that so many people came to the event,” said SETRAC Project Coordinator Katherine Samuel. “Stop the Bleed training empowers bystanders as first-responders.”
Launched in October of 2015 by the White House, Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and a call to action. Stop the Bleed 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. Studies show that:
- Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for people under 46
- 35% of pre-hospital deaths are due to blood loss
- 80% of victims in a mass casualty event are transported to the hospital by members of the public
- Death due to traumatic bleeding can occur in less than five minutes
- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that emergency response should begin within five minutes
- National EMS Response times often exceed the NFPA target times
- Of the 147,000 trauma deaths in 2014, 30,000 might have survived with appropriate care, primarily control of bleeding
No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, therefore it is important to quickly stop the blood loss. Those nearest to someone with life threatening injuries are best positioned to provide first care. The only thing more tragic than death is a death that could have been prevented.
For more information on the Stop the Bleed Program: www.bleedingcontrol.org.
SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) has two separate missions which are the Hospital Preparedness Program and clinical service lines. SETRAC prepares our 25 county region for manmade or natural emergencies, disasters and mass casualty events. Trauma, stroke, cardiac and pediatric service lines focus on establishing protocols and standards of care to deliver our community the appropriate care through the appropriate facilities with the appropriate care givers.