Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps
West Greenwich RI, October 3, 2017: Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps today announced a new training initiative to teach critical lifesaving skills to stop catastrophic bleeding. STOP THE BLEED will focus on training citizen bystanders in bleeding control.
No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, therefore it is important to quickly stop the blood loss. Those nearest to someone with life threatening injuries are best positioned to provide first care.
The program will activate teams of registered and trained Medical Reserve Corps (RI MRC) health professional volunteers to provide bleeding control education to citizens and organizations. The team will be utilizing a surplus HUMVEE to deliver training in locations, such as special events, retail shopping center parking lots, sporting events, or any other high traffic area. Bringing the mobile training vehicle and a team to a location will provide every day citizens an opportunity to learn how to save a life with just 12 minutes of training. The HUMVEE is a specialized vehicle that will naturally draw crowds where ever it goes. The MRC is already hard at work converting the HUMVEE into this unique mobile digital learning platform.
“This unique platform allows us to train large groups of people in just 12 minutes. The program content will focus on teaching how to apply direct pressure, a wound dressing and tourniquet.” said Lawrence. “Each student will have the opportunity to practice the skills they just learned on simulation manikins right there next to the vehicle” he added
A Go Fund Me page has been established to raise the funds needed to bring this much-needed program to all citizens. For more information www.gofundme.com/humvee-stop-the-bleed-training.
“It is our goal to get as many citizen bystanders trained, equipped, and confident in their ability to react in an emergency before professional help arrives,” said Brooke A. Lawrence, Executive Officer of the RI Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps.
ACTION REQUIRED
No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, therefore it is important to quickly stop the blood loss. Those nearest to someone with life threatening injuries are best positioned to provide first care. It is our goal to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
During the past decade, active assailant/shooter incidents have dramatically increased worldwide. This has become a very serious public health epidemic. These incidents not only directly impact families, but also have devastating consequences on the nation, our communities, and first responders. We can all make a positive difference in the outcomes of these incidents, by training civilians to immediately initiate bleeding control measures.
Recently, a gunman opened fire at a music festival in Las Vegas, injuring over 500 and killing 59 innocent people. These attacks continue to escalate and it is now time to begin training our citizens on how to react when faced with a situation that requires action to save a life. By increasing the number of trained civilians actively involved in rapid bleeding control, we will save lives. Through this program, our organization, the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps (RI MRC) will collaborate with partners to leverage RI MRC’s experience in training every day Americans to take action.
BRINGING IT TO YOU
The program will activate teams of registered and trained Medical Reserve Corps health professional volunteers to provide bleeding control education and rescue skills to citizens and organizations.
Our program will utilize a surplus HUMVEE to deliver training in unique locations, like special events, retail shopping center parking lots, sporting events, or any other high traffic locations. The introduction of this mobile capability will make an incredible impact on our preparedness. Bringing the mobile training vehicle and team to a location will provide every day citizens an opportunity to learn how to save a life with 12 minutes of training. It’s just that simple, 12 minutes to learn a skill that could save your loved one’s life.
The HUMVEE is a specialized vehicle that will naturally draw attention where ever it goes. We already have the HUMVEE and can begin work right away. Your support will recondition the vehicle to create a digital learning platform.
This will allow us to train large groups of people in just 12 minutes. The program content will focus on teaching how to apply direct pressure, a wound dressing and tourniquet. Each student will have the opportunity to practice the skills on simulation manikins right there next to the vehicle. They will walk away confident in their abilities to act in an emergency.
Providing bleeding control, recognition, and response education is a harm reduction intervention that has been demonstrated to saves lives. Please help us make a difference.
50 Barnett Lane, West Greenwich, RI 02817 T: 401.385.3911 www.rimrc.org
RI Medical Reserve Corps T 401.651.6972 blawrence@ridmat.org
About RI Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps
The Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team’s Medical Reserve Corps (RIDMAT/MRC) is an 501c3 non-profit organization that identifies, trains, and organizes local healthcare volunteers able to assist in both large-scale state emergencies and/or smaller community based public health initiatives. With over 1600 registered volunteer health professionals and non-medical volunteers, the RIDMAT/MRC is an active participant in preparedness and response activities within the State of Rhode Island. Sponsored by the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team (RI DMAT), the 501c3 organization provides training opportunities to its volunteers in the form of field hospital operations at mass gathering events across the State. The goal of these events is aimed at training volunteers to prepare for and respond to public health and emergency response disasters by providing hospital level care to participants and spectators. RIDMAT/MRC’s participation at these events alleviates surge on local EMS services and area hospitals. RI DMAT/MRC’s goal is to provide support to public health initiatives across the State to improve the health and wellness of Rhode Island, ultimately reducing the vulnerability of the population to disaster risk and improving our overall response efforts.
