It will come as no surprise that school districts nationwide are changing protocols to protect students against mass shootings.
Now, schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, are taking it a step further, preparing their staff and some students to “Stop the Bleed.”
Through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the school system will place tourniquets in every elementary, middle and high school.
“Just like how we have fire alarms, it is a safety precaution measure, so in case something bad happens, so that we’re prepared to keep our students safe,” said Cara Grant, the supervisor of the district’s health and physical education.
As part of the health education curriculum, when high school students learn first aid and CPR, they’ll also train in how to use emergency tourniquets.
“It has a kinesthetic or hands-on component, where you are actually using a tourniquet on a model to know what the appropriate pressure and release is,” Grant said.
Security officers have already completed the 90-minute training for the “Stop the Bleed” kits. The next level of training is to instruct high school health educators, Grant said.
The kits are already in Fairfax County, Virginia, public high and middle schools, where security and safety personnel were trained to use them through a partnership with Inova Health.
