ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman and the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) today unveiled an initiative to make bleeding control kits available in public locations including schools, community centers and other gathering places. In events resulting in victims with severe injuries, the goal of this initiative is to give the Howard County community a way to reduce the impact of severe bleeding in victims of traumatic injury and heighten local resiliency by improving access to hemorrhage control supplies. “We have experienced far too many tragedies, from Sandy Hook Elementary and the Boston Marathon to attacks in Paris and Brussels and other events that have hit close to home,” said Kittleman. “In the wake of tragic events, where victims experience serious injuries, our first responders want to empower the community to help, by transforming bystanders into immediate responders. Like the public placement of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and the launch of the Pulse Point App, this is another critical step in the effort to save lives.”. Modeled after the national “Stop the Bleed” initiative, HCDFRS will offer training programs in how to use the kits to control bleeding. HCDFRS will deploy 100 kits, strategically stored near AEDs already in public facilities. Schools and other facilities where the kits are located will be identified with readily visible “Stop the Bleed” signs. “Severe bleeding remains the single biggest cause of preventable death among trauma patients,” said HCDFRS Fire Chief John S. Butler. “Survival decreases dramatically following a severe injury with uncontrolled bleeding. That’s why we’re passionate about getting this resource into the hands of the community. We’ve learned from other incidents around the country that just an EMS-only response may not be sufficient to address the hemorrhage control needs presented by a mass casualty/mass trauma event.”. HCDFRS received a $40,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, $29,000 of which was used to purchase 100 kits for public places. The remaining funds were used to purchase 10 larger mass casualty kits for the Howard County Police Department. During the initial rollout, bleeding control kits will be placed in public schools and libraries, as well as several community centers and senior centers. Additional kits will be placed in Howard County Government buildings, including Recreation and Parks facilities. Police officers have been issued trauma kits and fire and rescue units have bleeding intervention bags onboard to augment the effort. “Howard Community College is proud to be a partner in the County’s ‘Stop the Bleed’ initiative,” said Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, president of Howard Community College. “Maintaining a safe learning and working environment is one of the highest priorities for the college, and this initiative aligns perfectly with our existing safe campus efforts.”. In addition to mass casualty incidents, the kits can be used for severe trauma incidents such as industrial accidents, motor vehicle collisions, severe falls or cuts. Simple hemorrhage control techniques can effectively slow blood loss and save lives. The techniques are easy to learn, but success of such intervention relies on rapid response by trained individuals and immediate access to the proper equipment, including hemostatic gauze, pressure dressings and tourniquets. Matthew J. Levy, HCDFRS Medical Director, will head up training efforts. “It is our hope that the community will respond the same way as to getting CPR and first aid training. By having trained individuals in the community to help control severe bleeding immediately, we will save lives.”. Christine O'Connor, Chair of the County’s Board of Education, added, “I look forward to taking the training, and I encourage others to participate in training available to community members. As a mom and volunteer with my children’s sports teams, I’m always on the ball fields. Hopefully, I never need to use a bleed control kit, but it has the potential to save the lives of children and adults in our schools and community.”. For more information about Howard County’s “Stop the Bleed” initiative, visit www.hcdfrs.org..