When a student is injured in industrial arts class, or a glass shelf falls and causes a deep cut, schools now have the equipment and education to provide immediate first aid before professional help arrives.
Through a federal grant administered through the Illinois Department of Public Health and dispersed through the Champaign Regional Healthcare Coalition, schools were provided first aid supplies in the “Stop the Bleed” campaign. Sarah Bush Lincoln Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff is providing many schools in Region 6 with education on how to correctly use the first aid supplies.
EMS coordinator and nursing supervisor Shirley Sherwood, RN, explained that the program was rolled out to all schools last year. They received the supplies, a letter and some electronic information on how to use them. “We thought it would be nice to meet with people in person and provide hands-on education for any school that wants it in a train-the-trainer format. Most often, the school nurse is the person being trained, but coaches, and teachers are also involved.” Those receiving the training also receive continuing education credit.
SBL Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Joe Fehrenbacher explained, “In trauma, blood loss is the number one cause of preventable death. By providing non-medical first responders with the basic tools to stop uncontrolled bleeding in an emergency situation, lives could be saved. We want to make sure school staff know how to properly use the equipment which could potentially save a life one day.”
The kits include tourniquet, bandages, gauze, gloves and a substance to help blood clot quickly. “The kits include everything needed to stop the bleeding,” he said. They are often stored with the school’s AED (automatic emergency defibrillator) for quick and easy access.
SBL EMS is providing training at public and private schools in Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Moultrie, and Shelby counties as requested. The national goal of this program is to train and empower 300 million citizens in the United States.
For more information, contact Shirley Sherwood, 217 258- 2403.