MERRIMAC — Public safety departments in the tri-town Pentucket region are offering free, certified “Stop the Bleed” training to help community members deal with a bleeding emergency. “Stop the Bleed” instruction aims to train, equip, and empower bystanders to provide assistance before first responders arrive. Time is a very important factor when individuals are suffering major blood loss, safety officials stress.
The training is being offered to all first responders in Merrimac, Groveland, and West Newbury, all staff in the Pentucket Regional School District, as well as to tri-town residents during two, 2-hour sessions.
Certified “Stop the Bleed” instructors from the local police and fire departments will present the training, which focuses on hemorrhage control for traumatic injuries. Using a combination of lecture and hands-on exercises, the course covers topics such as how to identify life-threatening bleeding, tourniquet application to extremities, wound packing, and the use of direct pressure.
“Stop the Bleed” is a national awareness campaign and call-to-action intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
A grant from the Department of Homeland Security provided nearly $30,000 jointly to Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury for the program in 2021, but the global pandemic forced a delay because training can only be conducted in person.
“I would like to encourage everyone to get bleeding control training,” said Merrimac Police Patrol and Training Supervisor Sgt. Richard Holcroft, who helped organize the training program. “Although this training is partially due to the ever increasing number of active shooter incidents, more importantly, these life saving skills have a much higher potential of being used for everyday accidents. Life threatening bleeding can result from car accidents, use of power tools, chain saws, boating accidents and many other everyday activities.”
Stop the Bleed training will be available to the public at the Merrimac Police Department on Monday, April 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Training dates in West Newbury are still being scheduled, and will be announced on the West Newbury Police and Fire Departments’ social media pages. Two sessions were held in Groveland in March.
“Citizens are more than welcome to attend any of the classes in any of the communities. Honestly we don’t mind where they’re from at all. We just want to get the information out to as many people as possible,” Holcroft said.
For more information, contact 978-321-0604, or rholcroft@merrimacpolice.org.
