How to Stop The Bleed

By JESSICA ANDERSON
You’re headed to the grocery store and there’s a car accident in front of you. Your neighbor is mowing the lawn in flip-flops and runs over his foot. Your friend is injured while chopping kindling for the backyard firepit. These are the everyday occurrences that can turn quickly into life-threatening situations. Minutes count! Someone who is severely bleeding can bleed to death in as few as five minutes. That’s why bleeding control—keeping the blood inside the body—is the purpose of Stop the Bleed training.
May 2024 is the Sixth Annual Stop the Bleed Month and a great time to assess your comfort and skill to help someone in need. If you were with someone who was bleeding, and it took 5 or 6 or 7 or more minutes for the ambulance to arrive – how would you spend that time while you wait? Stop The Bleed is a grassroots national awareness campaign that encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. 
There are numerous stories in the news about how Stop the Bleed has saved lives. In June 2023, Pat Kemery of Brockton, Iowa, fell off her four-wheeler and got trapped under the vehicle. Unable to move, a local 13-year-old boy happened to stop by her farm to pick up hay. He moved the vehicle off her and, using his training, stayed calm, addressed her bleeding, and called for help. In March 2024, a New York subway conductor was slashed in the neck by an unprovoked bystander. Patrick McGrory, a surgeon and passenger on the train ran to assist the conductor. McGrory says he took the face mask the conductor was wearing and rolled it up to stop the bleeding. McGrory estimated it was about 20-25 minutes of applying pressure to the wound before paramedics arrived. The conductor required 34 stitches but is recovering. These stories and the many more that never make it to the news are examples of all the ways bystanders can help those in need. 
The core elements of stopping life-threatening bleeding are the following: 
Apply Direct Pressure: The first and most immediate step involves applying downward pressure directly to the wound.
Pack the Wound: If the wound is gaping and continues to bleed, pack gauze or cloth down into the wound to help control the bleeding. Apply pressure on top.
Apply a Tourniquet: For severe bleeding from arms and legs that does not stop with direct pressure or packing, a tourniquet may be necessary. Tourniquets are extremely effective and if in doubt, use one. The phrase “high and tight” will help you remember to apply the tourniquet high on the arm or leg and make sure it’s tight enough to stop the blood flow. 
These skills are as important to know as CPR and Basic First Aid and there are several ways to become informed, educated, and empowered to employ this life-saving skill. I regularly offer free classes via Zoom, and they are open to the public. I can also schedule in-person training with your group or organization which includes hands-on practice with tourniquets. My safety and security training calendar can be found on the JFGP website at jewishportland.org/events/security-training or you can contact me at janderson@securecommunitynetwork.org or 872-273-9214. Additionally, check out Stop the Bleed’s website at  www.stopthebleed.org. You’ll find online courses, resources, and how Stop the Bleed is helping people across the US. In honor of this month, Stop the Bleed is offering a chance to win a personal Stop the Bleed kit. Click here to enter: info.facs.org/STB-Individiual-Kit-Giveaway.html. Good luck!
Meanwhile, it’s vitally important to report antisemitic incidents and experiences, large and small so communities, law enforcement, and state agencies can track their prevalence and allocate sufficient funding to investigate. From January through March of 2024, over 20 incidents were reported to me, some of which were significant enough to be shared with law enforcement. To report an incident contact Jessica directly or use the reporting from the JFGP security page at securecommunitynetwork.jotform.com/form/223354509223148. Learn more about JFGP’s security program on the JFGP security page at jewishportland.org/security.

 

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