The Chautauqua County Department of Emergency Services has started an initiative benefiting all schools within the district.

Beginning next school year, every school in Chautauqua County will have three Stop the Bleed kits on hand to assist in a variety of medical emergency situations, thanks to the generosity of the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation and the Northern Chautauqua County Community Foundation.

“We were able to team up with local vendors and grant givers who were willing to join our initiative of equipping every single school in the county with Stop the Bleed kits,” stated Josh Schauman, EMS Education Coordinator.

They are simple kits with basic supplies, yet they are vital for emergency care and can be used on anyone, from adults to two-year-old children.

"Coming from someone with a background in education, schools are a wonderful place to raise our children, but there are a lot of safety hazards," stated  PJ Wendell, Chautauqua County Executive.  "These kits are not just for use in mass casualty incidents, but for everyday incidents. In physical education classes, where there are constant injuries, in shop class around all the machinery. It is so important for teachers and students to understand how to control the bleeding and stop that bleeding, it is critical to preventing significant injury and, in some cases even saving lives.”

It’s an initiative that many people appreciate on a professional and personal level.

“As a parent that lives and works in this community, I am so thankful to be able to raise my family in a district and community that takes safety and emergency preparedness so seriously,” said Maggie Gustafson, Chautauqua School District Nurse.

The kits will be distributed to all of the schools in the Chautauqua County School District this summer in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Each school will be receiving three kits along with mandatory training sessions in preparation for next school session.

For more information about Chautauqua County school’s Stop the Bleed program, visit here.