Danbury first responders practice saving lives
DANBURY — A mass shooting, major accident, or natural disaster could leave people with major injuries and blood loss — situations the Danbury Fire Department trained for this fall as part of the “Stop the Bleed” program.
The national organization teaches first responders and community leaders how to quickly stop blood loss using tourniquets and bandages in the face of what the department calls “mass casualty” events.
“It’s dealing with any mass casualty incident ... so you can clear a room quickly,” said James Gagliardo, a spokesman for the fire department.
He said the techniques taught in the course are not new to the fire department’s career personnel, all of whom attended the training in October.
Ruth Piehler, a registered nurse and the trauma coordinator at Danbury Hospital, helped lend her expertise for the training.
Firefighters coordinated with city police for their “rescue task force” training, Gagliardo said. That training saw fire crews shadowing police officers for situations where there might be an active threat, such as a shooter.
“We work with the police department and go in and do victim removal,” he said. “We go in and get somebody in a warm or hot zone, put a tourniquet on, and then get them out quickly.”
The training is different from the emergency medical personnel who shadow the police SWAT team if there is a major shooting, he said.
Gagliardo said the training was not in response to any one particular incident. “We have to be prepared for anything,” he added.