In October of 2015, the Department of Homeland Security launched a new national awareness campaign and a call-to-action: Stop the Bleed. No matter how quickly professional emergency responders arrive, bystanders are always the first at the scene. Since traumatic blood loss can result within minutes, the person who is nearest to an emergency is often in the most crucial position to save a life. This is why Stop the Bleed exists to empower and equip bystanders to assist in a bleeding emergency.
How does this issue relate to classroom safety? When natural disasters, shootings, or accidents strike, having access to devices that control bleeding can mean the difference between life and death. As schools devise and implement more effective safety strategies, it is vital to recognize the importance of including school trauma kits in every classroom if the unthinkable happens.
Tourniquets and Life-Threatening Blood Loss
Tourniquets are a vital component to any trauma kit, and their role in school safety cannot be emphasized enough. When properly applied, tourniquets limit the amount of blood lost by a person who has sustained a life-threatening injury to an arm or leg. Life-threatening blood loss can be identified when blood is bright red in color and seems to be spurting or pulsating from the injury. Without immediate action, these injuries can result in hypovolemic shock and even death.
Easy access to tourniquets and other bleed-control products can stop potentially life-threatening blood loss in its tracks. Since anyone can be turned into a first responder when disaster strikes, it is important for tourniquets to be user-friendly and easy to administer by responsible individuals, including those without proper medical training. By providing every classroom with readily accessible tourniquets, blood loss can be controlled within seconds and lives can be saved.
Stop the Bleed with School Trauma Kits
It is essential for schools to be prepared for any situation, including traumatic injuries. Ideally, each room should be equipped with a school trauma kit, including but not limited to classrooms, offices, cafeterias, and gymnasiums. Trauma kits range from individual tourniquets for classroom use to full-sized bleed control stations ideal for larger areas such as hallways, libraries, or auditoriums.
For classrooms, a single tourniquet can be incorporated into a basic first aid kit. However, not every first aid kit contains the right supplies to treat more serious injuries. With this in mind, larger trauma kits equipped with tourniquets, compressed gauze, compression bandages, sterile gloves, and medical shears may prove to be more beneficial.
School Safety Solution: Protecting Every Classroom
With the help of School Safety Solution, you can make sure that every classroom is equipped with the proper school trauma kits. We are proud to offer S.T.A.T.® Tourniquets, paired perfectly with a variety of classroom trauma kits, to help educators effectively respond to bleed control emergencies. This tourniquet is extremely user-friendly and can be utilized on the limbs of both adults and small children. For more information about which school trauma kits are best for your classroom, send us an email at info@schoolsafetysolution.com or request a quote through our online form. We look forward to partnering with you!