The trauma team from NYU Winthrop Hospital, an American College of Surgeons Level 1 Trauma Center, yesterday trained more than 50 members of the Mineola Fire Department in the hospital’s Stop the Bleed program. Stop the Bleed, a national program initiated by the American College of Surgeons and supported by Homeland Security, encourages first responders and everyday citizens to become trained and empowered to assist in a bleeding emergency until professional medical aid arrives. NYU Winthrop has been training organizations and residents across Long Island in recent months, bringing the Stop the Bleed program’s lifesaving techniques to university staff, public safety officers, health professionals, entertainment venues, corporations, and more.

“When serious injuries occur, whether from a car accident, blast, or other unexpected tragedy, every minute counts and every drop of blood counts,” said Fahd Ali, MD, a lead trauma surgeon at NYU Winthrop Hospital. “Not only is it important that first responders like Mineola firefighters be trained in the lifesaving techniques of Stop the Bleed, but citizens across our Long Island communities should be empowered to provide immediate care to sustain life after serious blood loss.”

“The volunteer firefighters of the Mineola Fire Department responded to over 500 emergency calls last year,” said Robert Connolly, first assistant chief of the Mineola Fire Department. “The 140 members of this department have been trained to respond to fires and other emergencies. We so appreciate NYU Winthrop providing us with this additional training. We are dedicated to saving lives, and the Stop the Bleed curriculum allows us to add one more skillset to make that possible. The knowledge that we gained in one morning of training will prove invaluable.”

According to a National Academies of Science study, trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 46, resulting from car accidents, gun violence, mass casualty incidents, and terrorism, as well as from home and work injuries. In many cases, the deaths are due to blood loss and are preventable. The Stop the Bleed program focuses on teaching tactics to recognize life-threatening bleeding and provide immediate response to control that bleeding including by direct pressure, the use of tourniquets, or packing (filling) a wound with gauze or clean cloth. Bleeding wounds, such as to the arms and legs, can many times be controlled by direct pressure. The Stop the Bleed program was first instigated by a physician who examined the wounds among those killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, and determined that if pressure had been immediately applied to some wounds, deaths would have been prevented.

“We hope that Stop the Bleed will become a standard lifesaving program just like CPR,” added Dr. Ali. He also noted a poll that showed that if a situation was deemed safe, 94 percent of respondents said they were likely to try to stop bleeding in an unknown person. “Bystanders are usually the first on the scene following a calamitous event, and they’re best positioned to provide immediate care to sustain life after blood loss.”

Public or private organizations interested in more information about NYU Winthrop’s Stop the Bleed program may contact Judy Jax at 516-663-8708.

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