When it comes to security, prevention is critical. One of the most important ways to prevent injury and loss of life in any situation is to be aware of Stop The Bleed. By following some simple techniques, you can save a life. This guide will teach you the basics of how to stop the bleed and keep you and your security team safe.
If you have not taken a Stop The Bleed course yet, it is highly recommended. This course is usually 2-hours in length and focuses on particular skills to help Identify, Respond and Management life-threatening bleeding emergencies.
Identify
As a security professional, you are tased with several requirements to prevent and prepare during your shift. This could be patrolling, static observing, as well as responding to calls. The assumption is you have your First Aid training. If you don't have first aid training yet, this can not be recommended enough. The first detail you want to identify is External Mass Hemorrhaging (Life-Threatening External Bleeding). There are two quick ways to help identify.
Significant Bleeding from injury with Pooling on the ground near the injury point.
Significant Bleeding from injury and high level of blood saturating in the clothing near the injury point.
Identifying can be quick with visual observation or with a hands-on check (gloves are recommended).
Respond
Once you have identified the emergency, it is critical and responsible to activate 911. Either yourself, the hands-free feature of your phone or a bystander can be tasked with making the class. Time is critical and activating advanced medical care is the top priority.
Some things to keep in mind when calling for help
The address of the incident or clearly defined landmarks to communicate to the 911 dispatcher
Number of people involved and initial assessment at a glance (911 dispatcher will help you assess each person as needed)
How many people can provide care and assistance.
Once help is on the way, you or a bystander should get a First Aid kit or Bleeding management kit.
Management
The key principle to the management of external deadly bleeding is pressure. In your response kit, you want to look for bandages or if you have to improvise, cloth. Your goal is to provide constant and continuous pressure to the injury. If blood soaks through the first bandage, do not remove it. Add more cloth or bandages on top.
In the stop the bleed course, you will also learn about Tourniquets and Wound Packing. These applications are best described in the classroom setting as training and quality are key to success.
In the Security Industry
As a guard in the security industry, you can't always wait for someone else to teach you, or for the employer to set the expectation. You are front line, you know the potential risks. This could be a crime-based situation, construction, environmental or spontaneous incident. Bleeding can happen anywhere, and training today saves a life tomorrow!