More Than a Kit: Why Bleeding Control is the Most Important Skill You Don’t Have
We talk a lot about disaster preparedness here at HelpNow. We emphasize having your go-bag ready, knowing your evacuation routes, and securing your home. But there’s a critical skill that often gets overlooked, a skill more immediately life-saving in many emergencies than even CPR: the ability to stop severe bleeding.
Think about it. In a crisis – whether it’s the aftermath of a hurricane with flying debris, a car accident, or, tragically, an active violence incident – uncontrolled bleeding can lead to death in mere minutes. That’s faster than first responders can often arrive. This isn’t just a skill for paramedics or doctors; it’s a skill that you, your family, your colleagues, and your community need to possess.
The Stark Reality: Bleeding Kills
The statistics are sobering. Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma situations. Imagine witnessing someone you care about severely injured, and the precious seconds ticking away as blood is lost. Feeling helpless in that moment is a terrifying prospect.
That’s where Stop the Bleed® training comes in, and it’s a core component of our AVERT (Active Violence Emergency Response Training) program here at HelpNow. We believe that empowering individuals with this knowledge is a vital part of building a resilient community right here in Land O’ Lakes and across Florida.
AVERT: Beyond Run, Hide, Fight – Empowering Action
While the “Run, Hide, Fight” mantra is a crucial element of active violence response, AVERT goes a step further. It equips you with the practical skills to directly intervene and save lives. This training isn’t just theoretical; it’s hands-on, giving you the confidence and competence to act decisively in a high-stress situation.
The Stop the Bleed portion of AVERT teaches you the three essential techniques to control life-threatening bleeding:
- Applying Direct Pressure: Using your hands or any available cloth to apply firm, continuous pressure directly to the source of the bleeding. This simple action can often make a critical difference.
- Packing the Wound: For deep wounds, learning how to effectively pack the wound with gauze or clean cloth to help stem the flow of blood.
- Using a Tourniquet: Understanding when and how to correctly apply a tourniquet to a severely bleeding limb to cut off circulation and stop the bleeding.
These aren’t complex medical procedures. They are practical, learnable skills that can be the difference between life and death.
More Than a Kit: The Knowledge to Use It
You might have a well-stocked first-aid kit at home or in your car. But do you know how to effectively use the contents to stop severe bleeding? The Stop the Bleed® training embedded within our AVERT program provides you with the crucial knowledge and hands-on practice to confidently use those supplies and improvise when necessary.
This skill isn’t just relevant in active violence situations. It can be applied in countless emergencies: accidents at home, workplace injuries, or even helping someone injured in a car crash.
Empowering Our Community, One Person at a Time
At HelpNow, our mission extends beyond disaster response. We are committed to building a stronger, more prepared Florida. By offering AVERT training with its vital Stop the Bleed® component, we are empowering our community members to become immediate responders, capable of saving lives in those critical first minutes of an emergency.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Equip yourself with the most important skill you don’t have.
