Teachers, trauma and tourniquets

Employees of South-Western Career Academy in Grove City learn how to use tourniquets to stop bleeding in trauma situations. They were at OhioHealth Doctor’s Hospital on the Far West Side on Monday.

White House in 2015, the campaign grew out of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It was one of the recommendations of a committee convened by the American College of Surgeons with a goal of increasing survivors in mass-casualty shooting events.

Locally, Central Ohio Trauma System, which includes dozens of hospitals and emergency management agencies, participates in Stop the Bleed initiatives, placing tourniquet kits in various public locations and offering public training sessions.

Kevin Rankin, who teaches electrical trades and construction, is a

former member of the military who underwent a combat lifesaver course in the 1990s.

Still, he said the Monday training was helpful, showing him how practices had changed.

Rankin said the training was important due to the prevalence of school shootings, but also in case his students get hurt practicing trades or his children get hurt at home.

Math teacher Amanda Klein said the training gave her confidence, and she was surprised at how well the devices worked with just a few simple steps.

“It’s best to have as much training as we can in today’s climate,” she

said. “I also hope that we never ever have to put any of this to use as an educator.”

OhioHealth plans a free class for the public on Stop the Bleed Day, March 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grant Medical Center’s Hugenberger Auditorium For information on the class or training events, contact Stacey Wickham at Stacey.Wickham@ ohiohealth.com or (614) 566-9808.

For additional Stop the Bleed training opportunities and information, go to bleedingcontrol.org, centralohiotraumasystem. or redcross.org.