Walton County Fire Rescue, EMS, and Sheriff’s Office and Walton County Schools Work Together To Keep Children Safe with Stop the Bleed Kits and Training 

School personnel have knowledge and supplies to respond to severe bleeding emergencies 

Representatives of Walton County Fire Rescue, EMS, and Sheriff’s Office and Walton County School District Superintendent Nathan Franklin visited Sharon Elementary on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, to recognize the school for 100% participation of certified staff in Stop the Bleed training.

Walton Fire Rescue and EMS departments and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office have been working with the Walton County Board of Education to teach and implement the state-sponsored Stop the Bleed Program in all Walton County Public Schools. Once schools complete the training in bleeding control techniques, they receive Stop the Bleed kits containing supplies, including tourniquets, wound packing materials, and gloves, that can be used to treat severe bleeding in the minutes before help arrives. Additional training is scheduled for school bus drivers and Board of Education employees.

“Our personnel have done an outstanding job in the delivery of this class,” said Walton County Fire Chief Mike Moore. “This is an important class for teachers to have because they are in the best position to stop bleeding before we arrive, which will greatly increase that child’s chance to survive.”

“We are extremely grateful to Walton County’s Fire Rescue, EMS, and Sheriff’s Office for partnering with us to train staff members at all 15 of our schools and central office,” said Superintendent Nathan Franklin, Ed.D. “As student and staff safety is our top priority, we are always looking for ways to be proactive and prepared for all types of situations. While we are hopeful that our staff will never have to use these skills, we fully understand the importance of this type of training in today’s society.”

The Stop the Bleed program was developed by the American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus, in response to mass casualty and active shooter events that have occurred across the country. Stop the Bleed trainings began in Georgia schools during the 2017-2018 school year. For more information on the Stop the Bleed initiative in Georgia, visit http://georgiatraumafoundation.org/stopthebleed.