St. Charles Bend hosting free ‘Stop the Bleed’ classes, aims to teach life-saving techniques

(Update: Adding video, comments from St. Charles, Bend Fire & Rescue)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- St. Charles Health System’s Trauma Program will host four free upcoming 'Stop the Bleed' classes in Bend to instruct the public on potentially life-saving techniques to help stop bleeding.

The Trauma Program, along with Bend Fire & Rescue, has taught Stop The Bleed courses since 2018.

"So often, people are bleeding out long before EMS gets there" Petar Hossick, EMS Training Coordinator for the City of Bend explained. "It takes us awhile, even after you call 911, to get there in the city. It can take 7 minutes for us to show up. And those minutes are very precious, like CPR, to stop bleeding."

The 'Stop The Bleed' kits include tourniquets, instructions, bandages, two rolls of gauze and trauma sheers. In the class, individuals will learn three quick techniques to help save a life if someone is bleeding, including how to use hands to apply pressure to a wound, how to pack a wound to control bleeding and how to correctly apply a tourniquet - a one-handed device which quickly controls bleeding.

St. Charles Trauma Program Coordinator Jeremy Buller told NewsChannel 21 "In 2023, we had 33 civilian placed tourniquets on patients who've come in as trauma patients in our department, and everyone has survived. So, it's great to have those kits out there."

In addition to medical first responders, law enforcement officials also carry Stop The Bleed kits.

The hospital sells Stop The Bleed kits for $50, at no profit. "We have some great stories of people taking action and saving lives by something as simple as putting a tourniquet on somebody" Hossick said.

The 2-hour courses will take place Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. and noon, Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Bend.

Classes are limited to 20 people and online registration is required.