Where should your school keep bleeding control kits?

Where should your school keep bleeding control kits?

Where should your school keep bleeding control kits?

Top locations for placing Stop the Bleed kits in schools

Many states require schools to have bleeding control kits. And you’ll note that we’re using the plural — “kits” — here! It’s important to have enough kits for the number of potential victims at each location. Although there’s no official guidance on the number of kits a school should have, we recommend having multiple bleeding control kits in high-traffic and high-occupancy areas.

Why? Well, according to Education Week, there have been nearly 60 school shootings since the publication’s journalists began tracking these tragic incidents in 2018. 10 school shootings were reported in 2020, 25 were reported in 2019, and a harrowing 114 people were killed or injured in school shootings during 2018. 

Mass casualty incidents such as mass shootings are a sad fact of life in America and in American schools. Uncontrolled bleeding is responsible for 35% of pre-hospital trauma deaths and 40% of deaths within the first 24 hours. Bleeding control kits — also known as Stop the Bleed® kits — teachers, school administrators, and staff members with the bleeding control products they need to save lives. 

Best locations for bleeding control kits in schools

The best locations for bleeding control kits in your school are publicly accessible, easy to find, and in places where they’re most likely to be needed. 

We recommend the following locations. Please note, we can’t see the future! These locations should give you a baseline as you start stocking your school with bleeding control kits.

  • Gymnasium
  • Auditorium
  • Main office
  • Library
  • Concession stands
  • School nurse’s office
  • Athletic fields
  • Weight room
  • Athletic trainers’ equipment bags
  • Buses and athletic team vehicles
  • Wherever there’s a first aid kit

Best practices and recommendations for Stop the Bleed bleed control kits in schools

  • Regularly communicate emergency protocols and procedures.
  • Install clearly-marked wall-mounted Stop the Bleed kits next to publically accessible AED cabinets and first aid kits.
  • Reserve teacher in-service and planning days each year for first aid, CPR, AED, and Stop the Bleed® training and refresher courses.
  • Require school security guards and coaches to carry bleeding control kits and receive Stop the Bleed®, CPR, AED, and first aid training.
  • Equip all school vehicles and buses with first aid and bleeding control kits.
  • Install multiple bleeding control kits in gymnasiums, cafeterias, main office, library, and other popular common spaces.

Who can use a bleeding control kit? You can! Anyone can! Have more questions about AEDs, bleeding control kits, or first aid classes? Contact Cardio Partners at 800-544-0004 to learn more. We also welcome your emails, and you can reach us at customerservice@cardiopartners.com.

 

DISCLAIMER: Information and resources found on the aed.com website and blog are intended to educate, inform, and motivate readers to make their health and wellness decisions after consulting with their healthcare provider. The authors are not healthcare providers. NO information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.

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