The Marion County Public Health Department is joining the effort to teach ordinary citizens a specialized type of first aid — how to deal with severe bleeding following a traumatic injury.

Stop the Bleed is a nationwide program developed by the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and other government agencies; it’s designed to help people who are on the immediate scene of a traumatic accident or mass casualty event know what to do to contain heavy bleeding.

Judi Van Hulzen is a nurse with the Marion County Public Health Department; she tells KNIA/KRLS News this course was developed after the Sandy Hook shooting, but it can be just as essential in everyday situations.

“You could be injured on the work site; depending on where you work, there’s all kinds of things that can happen. You could come upon a car accident, or God forbid you could be in a car accident. It could be at home, especially if you work on a farm or you live on a farm. There’s all kinds of things that can cause a life-threatening bleed,” Van Hulzen says.

Professional help could be as little as three to five minutes away, but a victim can bleed to death in that amount of time; those who take the class will learn techniques to control bleeding from extremities by use of a tourniquet, or direct pressure when it involves the torso or neck.

The Marion County Public Health Department offers these classes on a regular basis; you can call for more information at 641-828-2238.