Photo by Carri Graham Harrison Central High School freshmen students practice using a tourniquet following the “Stop the Bleed” seminar Friday morning at the school. Pictured, from left, are Holly Wood, Gabriella DiMichele and Autumn Summers.

CADIZ — Hundreds of local students are now able to administer emergency first aid to those in dire straits thanks to a new seminar conducted by Wheeling Hospital.

Dr. James Comerci, of Wheeling Hospital, instructed around 500 Harrison Central High School students on how to “Stop the Bleed” Friday morning at the school. The course was developed by the American College of Surgeons to provide individuals with valuable emergency services training –teaching students how to perform in the event of a life-threatening situation in order to save lives.

“The most important thing is for them (students) to realize that in certain situations they can be the immediate responder that would save a life; and there are some simple techniques you can do that seem simple, but could be effective at saving a life,” he said.

The initiative is relatively new to the Ohio Valley. Comerci said the hospital began administering the course about two years ago to various emergency organization and school staff. More recently, students from Belmont, Monroe, Harrison and Ohio counties are being taught the life-saving course.

“The first year we trained staff. Since last fall, we’ve really been going to all the schools. This year’s focus has really been training students,” he said.

Additionally, select students from Bridgeport and St. Clairsville high schools have been trained as facilitators to aid instructors during the sessions, he said. In the future students from every school will be asked if they would like to become a facilitator, he said.

The schools have been extremely receptive to bringing the program in, Comerci said.

This program could help save lives by teaching students how to properly stop life-threatening wounds from excessive bleeding by using a tourniquet or by applying pressure, he said. During the course, students were taught the “ABC’s of bleeding control,” which include alerting 911, finding the source of the bleed, compress with pressure or packing, or compress with a tourniquet.

Principal Ken Parker said initially grades 9-12 will be trained, with hopes of training middle school students at a later date.

“It’s just a great learning experience for the kids. It can definitely save a life and it’s something important that, I think, they need to know. This is real life-learning which is they may apply some day,” he said.

Parker said the the abilities learned through the course will not only provide students with the proper resources to aid fellow students in school if something were to happen, but also carry the skills outside of school as well.

The local initiative has also provided schools with “Stop the Bleed” kits which include a tourniquet, gauze, scissors and a pen. Comerci said the kits can be purchased for around $25 through Amazon. He said he plans to reach out to local organizations in order to garnish donations to purchase additional kits for schools throughout the valley.

“The goal is to provide every teacher with a kit,” he said.

Following the course, students were provided tourniquets and given hands-on experience.

“That’s why we don’t just talk about it, we go out and put hands-on. Because until you’ve really put hands-on and done it, it doesn’t come to you. It makes them (students) a little less squeamish and a little less concerned about it. … The more people we have aware of how to control that, the better chance we have,” Comerci said.

Students practiced the newly found life-saving techniques on one another. Freshmen students Holly Wood, Gabriella DiMichele and Autumn Summers, all 14 years old, said they had learned a lot during the seminar and were proficiently able to equip the tourniquet on each other.

Upon graduation, Summers said she plans to become a nurse. She said the course was a great training experience for her future profession.

The trio all agreed they now felt more confident in their ability to react in a situation in which someone would need assistance.

For more information on the “Stop the Bleed” initiative, visit BleedingControl.org or Stopthebleed.org.