ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Blog

When it comes to emergency care training, hands-on learning and skills practice sessions are the name of the game. Opportunities to demonstrate newly learned skills under the direction of a trained instructor help students remember their course content, and builds the confidence to respond in an actual emergency.

Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) made excellent use of easy-to-make props to enhance their presentation of the ASHI Advanced Bleeding Control program at two recent events: the StarGuard Elite Conference for Aquatic Management Professionals held aboard Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas, and the SAI Leadership Conference held in St. Pete Beach, FL. 

The training, conducted by SAI faculty along with the organization’s medical directors, was prompted by a real-life incident. In April 2016, lifeguards from SAI client’s River Road Park and Recreation District in Eugene, OR were among those responding at an active shooter incident at a barbecue in Emerald Park.  According to a local newspaper report, one man was killed and a second man was injured when they both were shot by a third man, who then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“The hands-on classroom activities were the highlight of the SAI events and received excellent feedback from the students, who feel more prepared to deal with severe bleeding at their aquatic facilities and waterparks,” says Jill White, SAI founder and instructor, and managing partner of StarGuard Elite.

Instructions for DIY Bleeding Control Prop

If you would like to give props a try at your next emergency care class, you can avoid the expense of a commercial prop by using our instruction sheet to build a Do-It-Yourself bleeding control prop for tourniquet practice. The use of such a prop prevents students from overtightening a real tourniquet as they practice application skills in class. The prop is created from easy-to-find materials including foam pool “noodles,” wooden dowels and aquarium tubing.

Created for our Advanced Bleeding Control classes, we’re making the instruction sheet for preparing and assembling the prop available to any emergency care instructor who wants to add a touch of realism to their next first aid class. You can download the instruction sheet here.

Offering Advanced Bleeding Control Classes at Your Training Center

Thanks to the Stop the Bleed awareness campaign, many emergency care training providers are adding bleeding control classes to their service offerings. This national awareness campaign, launched by the White House in 2015, is “intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.”

The Advanced Bleeding Control programs from ASHI and MEDIC First Aid are ideal for those students who have a greater than average chance of witnessing an injury event in which severe bleeding occurs, such as law enforcement, private security, workplace emergency response team personnel and staff at large events or campuses.

To learn more about the programs, click the button below.