Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) implemented new measures to increase emergency preparedness on-campus, according to CEPAR Executive Director and Professor of Emergency Medicine Alexander Isakov. The changes will include Stop the Bleed kits, which contain medical products to quickly stop heavy bleeding, and emergency preparedness classes.
CEPAR has been placing the kits around campus over the past five months. The kits are also in the same cabinets as automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
The Obama administration launched the Stop the Bleed program in 2015 to raise awareness and equip non-medical professionals for bleeding emergencies. Isakov explained that “disaster response is better with broad engagement” and that simple training can make all the difference.
CEPAR will collaborate with the American Red Cross to make classes on emergency preparedness available for interested students and employees, said CEPAR Senior Administrator and Director of Operations Sam Shartar.
The classes currently offered by the American Red Cross are often expensive, and CEPAR hopes to make training more accessible to the Emory community. Classes will teach attendees to use Stop the Bleed kits to prevent severe hemorrhage, stop opioid overdoses, clear obstructed airways and properly use AEDs.
These developments follow Wade Miles’ appointment to the position of CEPAR operations and training manager last month. The position had been vacant since February. Miles is a former paramedic and EMS supervisor with over 20 years of emergency response experience.
