REMSA offers several courses for the community designed to help save lives in all kinds of situations. One of those is called Bleeding Control for the Injured, or B-Con. It teaches community members how to react when seconds count.
"A good example would be an active shooter situation where you have a lot of victims and maybe not a lot of responders right away," said Todd Kerfoot, EMS Manager. "It's the person that's right next to you that would be able to render aid and provide care. So stopping that bleeding will buy time for when the responders show up."
The hands-on class teaches people how to manage blood loss by using tourniquets and packing wounds.
"This class is designed for the average person; it's like the new CPR," Kerfoot said. "CPR is critical; bleeding control is just as critical. And it doesn't take a active shooter situation for you to need to use these skills. It can be a family member that cuts themselves, whether it be a plate glass window or a kitchen knife."
He says these skills can make all the difference in the world.
"It is the difference between between life and death," he said. "Because a good response time could be a matter of 8 to 10 minutes. Well, they can bleed out in 3 to 5 minutes. We're relying on family members, friends, co-workers to be able to use those skills."
He says they've received a lot of feedback about the course over the years.
"We have a lot of civilians who have said they have used it," Kerfoot said. "They never thought they would have to use it, and then when they had to use it, they applied the training and it was very simple. It is simple stuff that we're teaching, it's not elaborate or anything like that, it's really five essential things that can help control bleeding."
The three-hour course is $30 and includes a first aid kit.
"The first aid kit is worth way more than that," Kerfoot said. "And during the class we go over all the contents in the kit so they'll know how to use the equipment that they're issued."
More information: https://www.remsahealth.com/education/
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