First Community Training Completed at Watertown International Airport

The instructors have been certified to teach the lifesaving STOP THE BLEED® technique and are seeking training sites and community members wishing to be trained. At least 25 free training sessions are available for booking.  

“We have some very skilled and dedicated instructors ready to go, and we all are excited to offer the STOP THE BLEED® trainings throughout the North Country, teaching ordinary citizens the basic actions to manage severe bleeding following everyday emergencies, mass casualty events or natural disasters,” states Ann Smith, Program Director for FDRHPO’s North Country EMS Program Agency. “The STOP THE BLEED® technique enables individuals to render immediate assistance to stop or slow external bleeding before the arrival of professional responders—a single action that could save many lives.”

Watertown International Airport was the location for FDRHPO’s first community training on June 21, 2022. “We have a highly trained team of aviation professionals at the airport who do great work every day,” states Grant Sussey, C.M., Watertown International Airport Manager. “The STOP THE BLEED® training adds one more tool to their toolboxes to ensure the best possible outcomes on that ‘very bad day’ that hopefully never comes.”

Each community site that trains 20 or more individuals at their location will be equipped with a STOP THE BLEED® kit for performing the lifesaving technique should a bleeding emergency occur at that particular site. This is similar to the way automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are made readily available for cardiac emergencies.

The STOP THE BLEED® initiative in the North Country was made possible through a $4,100 LEAD Impact grant from the Northern New York Community Foundation and its LEAD Council, which is comprised of young professionals who live and work in the tri-county area and are interested in enhancing the quality of life in the region.

Anyone wishing to coordinate a training site in their community, or to register for one, can do so in two ways: 1) follow this link or scan the QR code below to submit a request online, or; 2) call or email FDRHPO’s North Country EMS Program Agency at 315.755.2020 ext. 52 or jcole@fdrhpo.org.