The 1 October tragedy showed there are definitely heroes among us. While we hope that our community never sees another tragedy of that magnitude ever again; first responders are using it as an opportunity to teach skills that can save lives.
In mass casualty situations like 1 October; paramedics simply can't get to everyone fast enough. By learning some basic techniques anyone can help keep someone alive until an ambulance arrives.
In those critical moments just after the shooting, regular people found themselves working alongside paramedics treating the injured and using whatever they had at their disposal.
Paramedic Damon Schilling said there was no shortage of people who wanted to do their part.
"We saw everyone was willing to help," said Schilling. "Everybody wanted to help. And everybody did help. So, what would have been a little more beneficial is if they had some type of training."
That's where Stop The Bleed comes in. During free classes, paramedics from American Medical Response and MedicWest Ambulance show people like Tawnya Rosenthal, who doesn't have extensive medical training, how to recognize and stop a life-threatening bleed.
"It's our instinct to be able to stop if someone is in need," Rosenthal said. "But if you don't know what you are doing you could actually hurt them."
Using several bottles filled with red liquid, paramedic Callie Fraser explains how quickly a deep wound, like a gunshot, can kill someone.
"These bottles represent how much blood is in the human body." Fraser said. "You can bleed out in less than three minutes."
They demonstrate how to properly apply pressure, bandaging, and a technique called packing. The hope is that everyone leaves class more confident in their ability to make a difference when seconds count.
Class sizes are limited to 20 people, but so many were interested in attending Monday's class that a second class was created.
American Medical Response and MedicWest Ambulance aim to host these types of classes once or twice a month.
