The Brundidge Rotary Club and the Pike County Board of Education have partnered to put a “Stop the Bleed” kit in every classroom in each of the county schools in Brundidge, Goshen and Banks.

Representatives from Pike County Schools were the special guests at the Wednesday meeting of the Brundidge Rotary Club.

On behalf of the Brundidge Rotarians, Club President Marvin Jackson expressed appreciation to the Pike County BOE for the partnership that made the project possible.

Jackson said the Brundidge Rotary Club was assisted financially with matching funds from Rotary International. Through the combined efforts, 100 Stop the Bleed Kits have been purchased and will be ready for distribution at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.

Jacob Fannin, local coordinator for the National Stop the Bleed Initiative and owner of Shady Grove Tactical, was also a special guest of the Brundidge Rotarians.

He said the ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits were created for schools after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012 that left 20 children and six adults dead.

“These kits had saved lives on the battlefield, so why not in schools?” Fannin said.

“The Stop the Bleed kits are designed to fill the trauma gap or deadly gap between the time a victim is injured and the time emergency personnel can be on the scene. The kit closes that deadly gap so it has the potential to save lives.”

Fannin said a victim of an injury with uncontrolled hemorrhaging can bleed out in about three minutes, so immediate response to the life-threatening injury is crucial.

He demonstrated the use of a tourniquet for uncontrolled hemorrhaging of the arms and legs, which he said is the most frequent cause of the loss of life due to uncontrolled bleeding. He also demonstrated trauma dressing and the chest seal which are essential for immediate response to a massive hemorrhage.

The faculty of the Pike County Schools will be instructed on the use of “Stop the Bleed” kits at Pike County Schools Teacher In-Service on August 2.

Dr. Donnella Carter, PCBOE administrative assistant, instructional program, said hopes are that the “Stop the Bleed” kits are never used but, the Pike County School will now be better prepared if an event occurs that involves multiple life-threatening injuries.

“We want to be pro-active when lives are on the line,” Carter said. “We appreciate the efforts of the Brundidge Rotary Club in the purchase of the ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits for our schools.

Tracey Arnold, principal of Pike County Elementary School in Brundidge, also expressed appreciation to the Rotarians for partnering with the county schools to provide the kits that have life-saving potential.

“The kits are another level of protection for our students,” she said. “We want to do everything possible to keep our students safe.”