1889 Foundation is proud to be helping present Stop the Bleed, a nationwide education program now being implemented across the region with our support. First launched by the White House in 2016, the program gives people the training and equipment they need to save lives in a bleeding emergency before medical help arrives.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that a person can bleed to death in five minutes. The good news is that training and proper equipment can make a huge difference in survival rates. For example, training of military personnel has resulted in a drastic improvement in death rates of people who are bleeding severely – just 3 percent are lost. By comparison, in Cambria County and the nation, that statistic hovers around 30 percent.

That’s why 1889 Foundation and Conemaugh Health System are working to educate and equip key people to assist in a bleeding emergency. Police officers, who by the nature of their jobs may encounter gun violence, are being trained in Stop the Bleed, and each patrol car has been equipped with a kit containing instructions and supplies (like those shown above) that can help save a life.

But statistics suggest that as much as 12 percent of the population will need to provide assistance to a trauma patient before medical help arrives, and some 80 percent of mass casualty patients are taken to the hospital by vehicles other than ambulances. So it’s important that as many people as possible receive training.

1889 Foundation has helped fund the presentation of more than 150 training programs to date in our region. Organizations that have received Stop the Bleed training include:

  • Johnstown Police Department
  • Johnstown Fire Department
  • Several additional fire departments
  • Somerset: several police departments, sheriff’s department, probation department
  • 90 percent of schools in the region

Conemaugh is continuing to schedule trainings with interested organizations (such as schools, fire departments and others) and community groups. For more information about Stop the Bleed, including contact information if you’re interested in scheduling a presentation for your group or organization, download this fact sheet.