Free tourniquet training courses offered in El Paso for Stop the Bleed Day
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Could you make a life or death decision and act to help someone who's bleeding out?
In the wake of the August 3 shooting at Walmart in Central El Paso that left 22 people dead, health professionals are encouraging as many people in the community as possible to get training that could save a life before professional help arrives. The lessons can be used by bystanders to stop severe bleeding after a crash, fall, accident or any incident where minutes count and bleeding must be controlled.
ABC-7 is partnering with the Border Regional Advisory Council, or BorderRAC, for a Community Stop the Bleed Day on Saturday, November 16.
BorderRAC is a local non-profit whose goal is to help in the education and prevention of injury and disease, and health care emergencies and disaster preparedness. It serves El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson counties in Texas plus Dona Ana, Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Otero counties in New Mexico.
The free classes are two hours and will take place at the 911 Regional Communication Building at 6055 Threadgill Avenue in Northeast El Paso.
The times are 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Click here to register.
"Stop the Bleed" is a campaign born after the massacre in Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 first-graders and six teachers dead in 2012. The national awareness campaign helps people recognize life-threatening bleeding and empowers them to intervene effectively.
ABC-7 recently interviewed Dr. Stephen Flaherty, the Trauma director at Del Sol Medical Center. He and his team tended to the critically wounded after El Paso's mass attack.
Dr. Flaherty said he is eager to teach everyone how to stop life-threatening bleeding.
"We would like school teachers, volunteers in the schools, school resource officers, police officers, anybody who works in a place where there is large collections of people -- maybe nightclubs and bars, sporting events, and just the general public."
The number 1 cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding, according to the Stop the Bleed website. The course will teach participants how to recognize life-threatening bleeding, dress a wound and apply a tourniquet.
Dr. Flaherty stressed everyone can benefit from learning these skills.
"This is buddy care. How do you take care of the person next to you?"