The Knoxville Fire Department is partnering with the University of Tennessee Medical Center and American Medical Response ambulance service to provide “Stop the Bleed” training in an effort to educate the public about what they can do in an emergency to potentially save a life.
While Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians and other responders typically reach an emergency, bystanders are often arrive or are already on scene before emergency personnel. KFD aim to teach the general public how to stem bleeding until emergency personnel arrive.
A person with a trauma wound can die from blood loss within five minutes, according to “Stop the Bleed.”
“Those first minutes are critical,” said Fire Chief Stan Sharp, “This training is for everyone, just like we want everyone to know how to perform CPR.
People who go through ‘Stop the Bleed’ training will learn how to use several techniques – from applying direct pressure on the bleed to applying a tourniquet – to stop blood loss from trauma.
National Stop the Bleed Day is Saturday. The free community training session held by Priority Ambulance and Fort Loudon Medical Center will be at The Venue in Lenoir City, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Two open-to-the-public training sessions will be offered from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at Market Square and at West Town Mall.
