Imagine this scenario: you’re on the way to work and suddenly you feel a jolt. CRASH! A vehicle accident just occurred. You assess the situation and make eye contact with the driver who collided with you. They’re bleeding from the head and drifting from consciousness. What would you do?

This situation, and similar instances like it, happens daily around the world. It could be traffic accidents, injury during inclement weather, even an active shooter scenario. Someone is suffering from a bleeding wound and time is running out to treat it. Unfortunately, there are many who are unsure how to respond in that moment.

According to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death in the world. Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Fire Marshal (Code 1128) Shane Byrne wants to change that. 

“We never want these sorts of events to happen; however, we want to ensure our employees have the tools they need and the training available so if it ever does happen, they will be prepared,” said Byrne. With Byrne and his team, as well as the support of emergency response in the area and the Central Virginia Coalition, NNSY is taking the steps to bring Stop the Bleed training to America’s Shipyard.

Launched in 2015, this national awareness campaign and call to action provides those with the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding in someone who is injured and effectively assist that person in saving a life. Those trained in Stop the Bleed are able to become an integral part of the trauma care chain of survival, their immediate reaction possibly the difference between life and death for those in a traumatic event.

This hands-on training provides the employee a chance to utilize the tools necessary in bleeding control, including QuikClot and various types of tourniquets. In addition, it also provides the employee an understanding of when it’s safe to provide assistance and what procedures to follow.

“This is an important initiative for our team, since many of us have worked as emergency responders and have seen these events firsthand,” said Byrne. “Being able to train the public in how to reach in an emergency situation could truly turn the tide for someone. It all depends on what you know and how you react. With Stop the Bleed, we’re able to give everyone the tools they need to react appropriately.”

In addition to the Stop the Bleed training, NNSY is working on purchasing Stop the Bleed kits that will be distributed across the shipyard at the various automated external defibrillator (AED) locations. The kits include first aid response tools, including Quick Clot and tourniquets.

“NNSY is leading the charge for this training to be offered in the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) enterprise,” said Byrne. “We are not only bringing the training to the shipyard, we’re also providing the skills necessary for those here to also become train-the-trainers as well. So we can effectively continue the Stop the Bleed initiative to our shipyard family and beyond.”

For more information, visit https://cms.bleedingcontrol.org.

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