Today, the general public lives in a world where terrorism, the actions of unstable people and the dangerous impulses of friends and relatives are very real and becoming increasingly more frequent. Massive bleeding from any cause, but particularly from an active shooter or explosive events where a response is delayed can result in death. Similar to how the general public learns and performs CPR, the public must learn proper bleeding control techniques, including the use of their hands, dressings, and tourniquets. Victims can quickly die within five to ten minutes from uncontrolled bleeding. Four months after 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, the American College of Surgeons called a meeting of senior leaders in the communities of medicine, law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire-rescue, and the military in Hartford. The Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Intentional Mass-Casualty and Active Shooter Events was tasked with generating policies that would improve victim survivability at future traumatic events. This meeting and the three that ensued led to the creation of the Hartford Consensus papers. The papers set forth recommendations for changes in policy, procedure, and education with the goal of minimizing loss of life in mass casualty events.
In an effort to be proactive in these types of emergencies, Mrs. Lynn Hardison, Health Sciences Instructor at Pamlico County High School, participated in an instructors training session sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and the Vidant Medical Center's Department of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery to become a certified "Stop the Bleed" instructor.
Likewise, Pamlico County Rescue Squad in addition to Mrs. Hardison believe it is important to bring Stop the Bleed training to Pamlico County Schools to proactively prepare students and staff in the event of an emergency. Mrs. Hardison offered the first “Stop the Bleed” training to Pamlico County Schools’ bus drivers in October 2019 with the help of HOSA officers. She hopes to expand the training to additional staff. Currently, through the Health Science Education program, health science students are trained and earn a certification to act as immediate responders to save lives through the "Stop the Bleed" directive for national preparedness, which targets preparedness as a shared responsibility of the government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and individual citizens. Pamlico County Schools is appreciative for their community partnerships, Pamlico County Rescue Squad, and Mrs. Hardison for their commitment and service to others.
Pictured is T.W. Harris, PCRS Captain.