Each year, approximately 60,000 victims in the United States die from internal and/or external hemorrhaging. In some cases, it may take only five minutes for blood loss to take a life. Stop the Bleed and Until Help Arrives campaigns encourage the nation’s public to stand up as active bystanders during an emergency event within their community. Both initiatives strive to improve community resiliency and empower the public to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Stop the Bleed training provides individuals with the necessary knowledge and tools to assist a hemorrhage emergency until professional help is available. Until Help Arrives training takes a broader stance by outlining five simple steps to take during the crucial early stages of an emergency. By following these steps, active bystanders are better equipped to not only provide immediate aid to bleeding victims, but also position and comfort the injured before first responders arrive. In some cases, such as mass casualty events, actions taken by active bystanders are critical as emergency responders may face challenges in accessing the incident site.

Learn how several MRC units across the nation are taking a lead role in preparing their community members to be active bystanders.