Johnston and Grimes schools were outfitted on Tuesday with new Stop the Bleed kits, a lifesaving resource designed to help control severe bleeding during traumatic injuries before emergency personnel can reach the scene.
Local firefighters support school safety
The kits were donated by the Local 48‑35 Firefighters Union Foundation, which has been raising money through community events over the past year to fund the program. Each kit contains packing gauze, emergency trauma bandages, gloves, shears and a Sharpie for recording patient information.
How the kits work
Stop the Bleed training teaches school staff how to apply direct pressure, pack wounds and use tourniquets when necessary. By providing immediate care, the kits aim to minimize the time a victim goes untreated, thereby increasing the chances of survival in catastrophic events.
Voices from the fire district
“The people who are going to be administering this first aid are going to be handing them off to first responders when they’re able to arrive on scene. So it minimizes that time without treatment and then promotes overall survivability for catastrophic events,” said Austin Sapienza of the Johnston‑Grimes Metro Fire District.
Community impact
School administrators praised the donation as a vital addition to existing safety protocols. “Having these kits on hand gives our teachers and staff confidence that they can act quickly to help a student or staff member in an emergency,” said a spokesperson for Johnston Community Schools.
Grimes officials echoed the sentiment, noting that the kits complement ongoing emergency‑preparedness drills conducted throughout the district.
Continuing the effort
The Firefighters Union Foundation plans to expand the program to additional schools in the region, emphasizing the importance of community partnerships in safeguarding children and staff.
Parents and community members are encouraged to support future fundraising events, ensuring that more schools can benefit from this life‑saving equipment.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
