Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma.

It only takes an average of 3-5 minutes for a person to bleed out, yet it takes an average of 7-10 minutes for first responders to arrive on the scene.

This means it is crucial to make sure people are prepared to step in and save a life if they encounter a life-threatening bleed.

Emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye, are you and your loved ones prepared?

Preparedness Starts at Home, the 2025 theme, focuses on getting back to the essentials of preparedness. Here are four key actions you can take to prepare for any disaster you may face:

Know your risk

Know what could happen where you and your family live. This helps you figure out what you need to do to stay safe. You can explore various disasters and emergencies on Ready.gov.  

Make a family emergency plan

Making a plan early helps you reduce stress and save time and money. Follow four easy steps and create a free Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily with our fillable form.

Disasters are costly but preparing for them doesn’t have to be. Taking time to prepare now can help save you thousands of dollars and give you peace of mind when the next disaster or emergency occurs. Visit Ready.gov’s low and no-cost tip page to see how you can be better prepared without spending a lot of money.

Build an emergency supply kit

Having enough food, water and medicine can help you stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. Having what you need can also prevent injury and damage to your home.

Build a go-bag with all the essentials you might need, so you don’t need to scramble in an evacuation situation. Find a list of supplies at Build A Kit.

Get involved in your community by taking a STOP THE BLEED® class

Emergencies can happen fast, and emergency responders aren’t always nearby. You may be able to save a life by learning STOP THE BLEED® skills to save someone’s life in the case of a life-threatening bleed.

Get a STOP THE BLEED® Kit

In addition to preparing an Emergency Supply Kit, we encourage you to purchase a Department of Defense Licensed STOP THE BLEED® Kit for your family to make sure you have all of the tools at hand to stop a life-threatening bleed.

We only offer military grade Department of Defense approved STOP THE BLEED® Kits.

Why?

In the event of a bleeding emergency, you want to know that you have equipment that will work. There is cheaper equipment in the marketplace, but if you want to have confidence that the equipment you purchase will work when someone’s life is at stake, make sure it carries the STOP THE BLEED® mark.  If it doesn’t say STOP THE BLEED®, it might not work when the time comes.

Stop The Bleed Coalition | July 2025

The STOP THE BLEED® program has reached a major milestone: over 5 million people trained in life-saving bleeding control techniques. Designed to empower everyday citizens, the program teaches simple, emergency actions—like applying pressure, packing a wound, and using a tourniquet—that can save lives before professional help arrives.

With updated course materials, growing public awareness, and legislative momentum encouraging the placement of bleeding control kits in public spaces, the program continues to expand. Schools, sports venues, and government buildings are increasingly installing kits and offering training to staff and students, making communities safer and better prepared for emergencies.

Life-Saving Skills Taught by Amputee Instructor Vansh Patel

WALB News 10 | Zoe Wells | June 17, 2025

A year after losing his arm in a car crash, Deerfield‑Windsor graduate Vansh Patel is co-teaching STOP THE BLEED® classes with Phoebe Putney Health System and Dougherty County EMS.

The 45-minute workshops, offered in public and private schools, teach students vital techniques like tourniquet use and wound packing. Patel shares the real-world impact of the training:

“A simple tourniquet class that would have taken 30 minutes was enough to save my life.”

With 250 kits deployed in public schools—and additional kits for private schools—the program is spreading preparedness and hope throughout the community.

Read the full article here

Teaching Teens Emergency Response at Summer Camp

Spectrum 1 News | Sabriel MetCalf | July 3, 2025

This summer, ONE Lexington is helping teens gain critical emergency response skills through its “It Takes a Village” camp. Over 150 teens, ages 13–17, learned STOP THE BLEED® techniques and CPR, gaining hands-on practice in life-saving skills.

Camp leader Tania Walker highlights the urgency of timely bleeding control:

“It only takes seconds, minutes to bleed out,” emphasizing the importance of immediate intervention.

By combining recreational activities with expert-led sessions, the camp ensures teens learn essential skills while having fun. Preparing young people to act quickly in emergencies strengthens the community’s overall resilience and safety.

Read the full article here

Thanks for reading! We’ll see you next month.

-Stop The Bleed Coalition

STOP THE BLEED® Day 2025: What a Day for Life-Saving Action

Stop The Bleed Coalition | May 2025

May 22, 2025, marked an incredible milestone for the STOP THE BLEED® program. This year’s STOP THE BLEED® Day was our most impactful yet, with unprecedented participation, visibility, and life-saving action.

From bustling cities to small towns, and from classrooms to trauma centers, individuals and organizations united to say: “I’m ready to save a life.”

This year’s campaign featured the first STOP THE BLEED® Trainathon using the Training Management System, inspiring tens of thousands to:

• Take a STOP THE BLEED® class
  
• Watch an official training video
  
• Complete the STOP THE BLEED® Quiz
  

This effort is only possible because of our incredible network of partners, advocates, and volunteers, including:

• Licensed STOP THE BLEED® instructors teaching people worldwide
  
• Schools, workplaces, and civic groups hosting community training events
  
• Media outlets, influencers, and public health leaders amplifying our message
  
• STOP THE BLEED® Ambassadors reaching new audiences in their communities
  

We are proud to support and be part of these efforts, helping communities everywhere prepare for emergencies.

A Life-Saving STOP THE BLEED® Moment: Kevin’s Story

Moravia Fire & Rescue | May 2025

On May 13, Moravia Fire and Rescue responded to a critical emergency: a man named Kevin had been run over by a brush cutter and lost both legs. Eight volunteer firefighters responded immediately, knowing that uncontrolled bleeding can be fatal in minutes.

En route, tourniquets were prepared from jump bags, ready for use. Remarkably, Kevin was able to wave them down despite his injuries. The EMS crew applied life-saving tourniquets, stabilized him with the help of Centerville Fire & Rescue, and he was airlifted to Mercy Des Moines for advanced trauma care.

In the days following, the team eagerly awaited updates. On Monday, they received the news: Kevin was recovering well and wanted to meet the team who saved his life.

The reunion was emotional, filled with gratitude and reflection. Kevin shared his plans to get back on the golf course, rebuild his home, and move forward with the same courage he displayed during the accident. He emphasized:

“I appreciate everything everyone does. This is your life, but you SAVED mine.”

Kevin’s story underscores the profound impact of STOP THE BLEED® training, reminding us all why knowing how to control life-threatening bleeding matters.

ZOLL: Supporting Life-Saving Training as a Corporate Sponsor

Stop The Bleed Coalition | June 10, 2025

We are proud to welcome ZOLL as a 2025 corporate sponsor. A global leader in acute critical care, ZOLL develops innovative medical devices and software that empower both professionals and laypeople to respond effectively in emergencies.

From defibrillation to CPR feedback and data management, ZOLL’s technologies support rapid response and better outcomes—aligning perfectly with the STOP THE BLEED® mission. Their support helps expand access to life-saving training and equipment, ensuring more people are prepared to act when seconds matter.

Missouri Passes New STOP THE BLEED® Legislation

Stop The Bleed Coalition | June 2025

Missouri’s Stop the Bleed Act aims to enhance emergency preparedness in schools by equipping staff and facilities to respond to traumatic bleeding incidents. Passed by both the House and Senate, the bill is awaiting the governor’s signature.

Key Provisions Include:

• Bleeding Control Kits: Schools must place kits in high-traffic areas such as cafeterias, auditoriums, and vocational classrooms.
  
• Training Requirements: School personnel receive annual training in bleeding control techniques.
  
• Protocol Development: DESE will create a traumatic blood loss protocol by January 1, 2026.
  
• Maintenance & Restocking: Kits must be inspected annually and promptly restocked after use.
  
• Liability Protection: School staff using kits in good faith are protected from civil liability, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
  

Travis Coleman discussed this legislation in a recent STOP THE BLEED® podcast, highlighting his work to make schools safer.

The Coalition is honored to join this prestigious group of organizations working together towards improved disaster preparation and response.  

We’re proud that the DoD has noted that it has contracted with the Coalition to create and provide STOP THE BLEED® training and supporting materials for use by organizations and instructors who hold a STOP THE BLEED® license. 

As the leading provider of STOP THE BLEED® resources, we are constantly developing new ways to support those teaching STOP THE BLEED® so that more and more members of the public can be prepared to act in a bleeding emergency.

We are always looking to spread the word about STOP THE BLEED® saves to our community. These stories are a reminder of why we do what we do: because STOP THE BLEED® training can save lives. Two weeks ago, EMT Matthew Tirschwell used a tourniquet to save the life of a man who was struck by a subway train in Manhattan NYC.

WPIX TV Channel 11 News covered the story:

“NEW YORK (PIX11) – Matthew Tirschwell has carried a medical kit around with him since he became a volunteer EMT in 1992 – but he’s never had to use a tourniquet until last Friday. 

Tirschwell was getting off the subway at 86th Street in Manhattan while returning from a trip to Los Angeles when he heard the commotion. 

“There are different sounds of commotion, and that one sort of caught my ear differently,” he told PIX11 News on Tuesday. 

A man had been struck by a train, and his lower leg was cut off. Tirschwell jumped down to the tracks, put a tourniquet on the man, and waited for the fire department to come.

Firefighters lifted the man off the tracks 15 minutes later – he never would have made it had Tirschwell not come running down the stairs with his suitcases. 

“There’s no question. 15 minutes? A person would bleed out within probably 2-4 minutes,” Tirschwell said. 

“Seeing [the video] … it’s exactly what I remember happening,” Tirschwell said. “These things you don’t forget.”

Tirschwell, from the Upper East Side, owns an architectural lighting business and a lighting distribution company.

In his free time, he volunteers with Gotham Volunteer EMS and runs a foundation focused on management and operations for volunteer emergency medical services. 

Over the years, his medical gear has come in handy for anything from bandaids to Narcan. 

“[Emergencies] like that for some strange reason find their way to me,” Tirschwell said. “One of the things you’ll find about many first responders is that we never turn off. Whether we like to or not, there’s always a little engine that’s running somewhere.”

This subway emergency is a reminder for everyday folks to take CPR and STOP THE BLEED® training courses, Tirschwell said. “

Read the full story from WPIX TV Channel 11.

Find information about STOP THE BLEED® training options at the Department of Defense (DoD) Official STOP THE BLEED® Website, or find more information about STOP THE BLEED® training through the Stop The Bleed Coalition here.

One that we are particularly excited about is the NEW STOP THE BLEED® Club Program.  It’s been clear for several years that students, particularly high school and college students, have a keen interest in STOP THE BLEED®.  We’ve wanted to help them harness that energy by providing resources that would enable them to increase awareness of STOP THE BLEED® within their school communities and to enable them to organize STOP THE BLEED® trainings.

The NEW STOP THE BLEED® Club Program does just that.  We’ve set up an easy application process for students to apply for a STOP THE BLEED® Club license on behalf of their school or chartered school club. The license provides access to a set of tools and resources to create awareness and it also enables them to connect with licensed STOP THE BLEED® instructors and organize STOP THE BLEED® classes for community members.  

There’s no cost to apply and no cost to gain access to all of the resources we’ve developed.

We developed the STOP THE BLEED® Club Program because we believe that student-led efforts will help the campaign grow faster, enabling more people to be prepared to act in a life-threatening bleeding situation.  We look forward to supporting Clubs and the important work they will do.

The Coalition administers the STOP THE BLEED® Educational License program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense and we’ve seen a significant uptick in applications for this year from organizations across the U.S. and around the world. There are now organizations licensed in more than 140 countries.  

The Coalition’s team has been busy developing more resources to support licensees’ STOP THE BLEED® work. We released a number of new resources, including a translation of the Essential of STOP THE BLEED® in Portuguese, a new STOP THE BLEED® Emergency Poster, an STOP THE BLEED® Instructor Licensee Certificate and new social media posts. We also introduced STOP THE BLEED® Skills Verifications, designed to help individuals qualify more quickly to become licensed to teach STOP THE BLEED®. All of these resources are free to instructors.

We also opened up the STOP THE BLEED® Merch store – offering branded apparel and other items.  And we added a number of new STOP THE BLEED® Kit and Training equipment products.  We now offer over 100 different product options to help ensure that individuals and organizations can purchase exactly what they need.

The Coalition is a primary supporter of STOP THE BLEED® Day (May 23, 2024 this year) and this year’s effort marked another year of growth driven by an refresh of the popular Raise Your Hand social media campaign and the ever popular  STOP THE BLEED® scholarship and grant programs. We used STOP THE BLEED® Day to launch our STOP THE BLEED® Webinar program.  We received tremendous positive feedback from the hundreds of attendees. We’ll have regularly scheduled webinars during the 2nd half of the year. 

Finally, we’ve also been getting ready for the launch of something we are incredibly excited about – the STOP THE BLEED® Training Management System. The Training Management System is designed to make it easy for instructors to set up, administer and manage their classes. We are currently in a beta testing phase and expect to release the Training Management System soon.   This has been under development for a long time – it’s a big project and we expect that it will have a big positive impact upon the campaign.

We could not have done any of this without support from a number of key partners. These include TacMed Solutions, Rescue Essentials, SAM Medical and Herkimer Industries. We also count among our partners the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the American College of Emergency Physicians and Mount Sinai Health System, among many others. Thanks for all of them and thanks to thousands of instructors and ambassadors working every day to train more people and to create more awareness of the campaign – all so that more lives can be saved. 

One of the most valuable segments was the introduction of new digital resources. Attendees were guided through an array of online tools.  These resources are designed to enhance both in-person and virtual training sessions, making it easier for instructors to engage their audiences and to ensure effective learning outcomes.

Additionally, the webinar featured a robust Q&A session, with instructors posing a wide range of questions.  

The event also highlighted the upcoming release of  the new STOP THE BLEED®  Training System. This system is designed to make it easy for instructors to set up, administer and track their classes. 

The Coalition will be announcing the schedule for its webinar series later on this month so more instructors are able to learn about the growing resources the Coalition has developed to support them.

Developed to meet the growing demand for STOP THE BLEED® instructors, this program equips participants with the necessary tools and resources to effectively teach life-saving techniques.

Released by the Stop the Bleed Coalition and licensed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the program offers the latest training techniques and knowledge, along with free resources and promotional materials for community outreach. This initiative increases the numbers of trained responders, enhances community preparedness and ultimately saves lives.

Free materials include:

● Essentials of STOP THE BLEED® Training Course 

● Essentials of STOP THE BLEED® Course in Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Hebrew 

● STOP THE BLEED® Style Guide 

● Co-Branded Licensee Certificates 

● Co-Branded Trainee Certificates 

● Customizable Promotional Posters for STOP THE BLEED® training 

● Step-By-Step Bleeding Emergency Care Poster 

● Access to the STOP THE BLEED® Virtual Skills Verification Program 

● Licensee Portal to Access all Resources 

● Customizable Social Media Assets 

● STOP THE BLEED® News updates 

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH), a member of the Stop The Blood Coalition, has played a crucial role in developing educational, informative and research-based resources to address bleeding emergencies. Notably, NCDMPH co-developed the STOP THE BLEED® essentials course, one of two DoD-approved courses of its kind and a virtual skills verification course to approve healthcare professionals to teach STOP THE BLEED®. NCDMPH has provided program support to elevate and increase awareness of the STOP THE BLEED®campaign. 

“We are very proud of our collaboration with the Stop The Blood Coalition and the amazing work the STOP THE BLEED® team is doing to train clinicians, lay persons and students to provide immediate life-saving care in a bleeding emergency,” said Dr. Jeff Freeman, NCDMPH director. 

According to Dr. Matthew Levy, D.O., Board Chair, Stop the Bleed Coalition, “We developed the licensing program in order to support the growing need for more approved STOP THE BLEED® instructors and to provide instructors with the tools and resources to teach STOP THE BLEED®. The NCDMPH team has made key contributions to the program, one of the many ways we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with them.”

STOP THE BLEED® is a public/private partnership led by the DoD to empower bystanders to assist in bleeding emergencies before professional help arrives. The Stop The Bleed Coalition is dedicated to supporting this campaign, making it the sole nonprofit organization with that mission.