Clymer Central School 10th grade students learned how to apply a tourniquet and pack a wound in association with the international “Stop The Bleed” campaign. The campaign was launched in October 2015 in response to school shooting tragedies that have occurred around the world, specifically the one at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. The campaign was initiated by the White House and is hosted by the Department of Homeland Security. “Stop The Bleed” is present across the world in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Students practiced applying a tourniquet on themselves and on other classmates. Additionally, students were able to pack gunshot and knife wounds simulated on a section of a mannequin. The section is made of rubber-material imitating human flesh and features an inner-plastic piece mimicking a human bone.

Phelps, who is also a “Stop The Bleed” instructor, visited Kathleen Lombardo’s health class with the intent to ensure students were proficient at stopping the bleeding of a gunshot or knife wound. The session was divided into two days with one featuring a lecture and the next day incorporating practical lessons.

“This program, ‘Stop The Bleed,’ is to teach the layperson — no medical training, no age limit — as long as they’re capable of putting a tourniquet on or packing a wound they can help save someone’s life,” Phelps said.

A student learns to pack gauze on a bullet wound.

County schools increased local law enforcement visits last year after the Parkland, Fla., shooting last year. Clymer is among other schools who have introduced a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office substation within the school offering a designated deputy an office to operate from. The substation is utilized to increase a deputy’s presence in a particular district. The Bemus Point Central School District added a school resource officer this year as well.

“The goal is to try and get every individual in the United States trained in this sort of thing,” Phelps said.

There are currently 916 “Stop The Bleed” instructors in New York state alone, but Phelps said there are only four in Chautauqua County at this time. Overall, there are 15,332 instructors nationwide impacting 124,350 individuals. Phelps’ lesson involved more than 40 Clymer students over the two-day period.

“It’s for anybody willing to learn,” Phelps said regarding the training session.

Clymer served as Phelps’ first lesson in a school setting. He hopes to give training lessons to more students and teachers in Chautauqua County in the future. Phelps is scheduled to give training lessons at Corry High School in Pennsylvania in October and Jamestown Community College in November.

“Now they’ve got the knowledge,” Phelps said. “It’s like going to school. They’ve got something under their belt. They’ve got another tool that they can use to save someone’s life.”