Williamson County Training Helps 'Stop The Bleed'

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County EMS, in partnership with Seton Medical Center Williamson, will provide free "Stop the Bleed" training next week.

The class, designed for anyone wanting to learn simple actions to take in order to save lives, is scheduled Thursday, March 29. The training course is offered as part of the Stop the Bleed Day program, launched in October of 2015 by the White House, to connect potential students with instructors willing to donate their time for a day of free training, officials explained.

Working with the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, FEMA, the private sector, nonprofits, and the medical community, the Stop the Bleed campaign aims to raise awareness of life saving strategies and provide public access to bleeding control tools already used by first responders and the military, according to a press advisory.

The March 29 Stop the Bleed event will be offered from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the first floor Learning Center of Seton Medical Center Williamson, 201 Seton Parkway in Round Rock 78665. To attend, call 512-324-4804 or email: feedback@seton.org to join the class.

Based on the number of reservations received, a second session may be offered that afternoon, officials said. As a fitting tribute, the training event will begin with a special welcome and program introduction from James Geracci, MD, Vice President Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of Seton Williamson, and former career U.S. Army physician and colonel, officials said.

And there's more: "Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Bell and Round Rock Police Officers Chris

Wilson and Dominic (Mike) McCabe will be recognized for recent selfless acts they employed using controlled bleeding tactics until paramedics arrived on scene," organizers said. "No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene."

Because a person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, it's critically important to quickly stop the blood loss, officials said. Those nearest to someone with life-threatening injuries are best positioned to provide first care, they added. The statistics are dramatic: According to a recent National Academies of Science study, trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans under age 46, officials said.

For additional information on Stop the Bleed training events offered by Williamson County EMS, visit www.wilco.org/ems.

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