Mantua – During a Professional Development day at the end of Spring Break, Crestwood teachers and staff had the opportunity to learn life-saving skills. That’s because University Hospitals hosted a special training program at the Crestwood School District, as a part of the District’s Emergency Preparedness Plan. The program, entitled “Stop the Bleed” is part of a program launched in 2015, to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. According to Fire Chief Roosa, in light of recent school tragedies, the Fire Department, in conjunction with the Crestwood School District, were pleased to take advantage of the opportunity provided by University Hospitals, who are funding the efforts at no cost to the District.
Thanks to advances made by military medicine and research in hemorrhage control during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the purpose of “Stop the Bleed” program is to better prepare the public to save lives by raising awareness of basic actions to stop life threatening bleeding and to respond effectively in multiple scenarios, including work-related injuries, home injuries, motor vehicle crashes, mass shootings and bombings.
As teachers and District employees learned on Monday, no matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. Staff learned how critical it is to stop blood loss from injuries, since a person can die from blood loss within a mere five minutes, roughly the average emergency response time. According to a recent National Academies of Science study, trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 46.
Teachers and staff at all buildings were reminded that in the case of an emergency situation, it’s crucial to be aware of surroundings and move yourself and the injured person to safety, if necessary, prior to calling 911. Once the call has been made, you may be able to save a life by taking some simple actions immediately, while awaiting help from emergency professionals. If the victim is bleeding, try to stop the flow by using your hands to apply pressure to the wound using a clean wound dressing or cloth. In the event that bleeding doesn’t stop with direct pressure, the group learned the proper way to apply a tourniquet.
In addition to hands-on training, each classroom at Crestwood Schools will be equipped with 5-gallon-sized ‘go bucket’ filled with gloves, gauze, tourniquets, and other first aid supplies, as well as items including diabetic supplies and personal hygiene essentials in the event that students and staff are barricaded in the room during a catastrophic natural or manmade event.
In other news, at the last Fire Board meeting, the Board accepted the resignation of Jacob Bennett. Bennett, who was sworn in at the February meeting, resigned his position with the MSFD in order to take a full-time position with the City of Cleveland Fire Department. He hopes to return to MSFD as a part-time firefighter after his training is complete at the Cleveland Fire Academy. Chief Roosa shared that seven people have begun the hiring process with the Department, having taken the written portion of the test during the last week of March.
Lastly, Fire Chief Roosa presented Fire Board members with the first draft of the proposed language for an EMS levy replacement initiative for their feedback. Once the proper language has been determined, the initiative will require Board approval before being sent to the Auditors Office for certification before the proposed levy is placed on the ballot for this November’s election. He noted that the bond which funded construction of the station (ie: Building Fund) will be complete in 2021.
The next MSFD meeting will be held on Monday, April 9th at 6 pm at the Mantua-Shalersville Fire Station on State Route 44; residents are encouraged to attend.
