Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH), in partnership with the Region V Regional Hospital Coordinating Center (RHCC), delivered 85 Stop the Bleed kits and provided hands-on bleeding control training to 87 students and staff at Vienna High School on November 24. The initiative has equipped every school building and school bus across the Vienna School District with lifesaving equipment.
The project began after Vienna Police Officer and School Resource Officer David Stewart identified a gap in emergency preparedness for school buses while reviewing district plans. “We always plan for what’s inside the building,” Stewart said. “I hadn’t really thought outside the box and looked at our transportation side, our school buses.”
Arien Herrmann, SIH System Manager for Regional Healthcare Resiliency, described this as a first-time request in the region. He stated, “We’ve distributed hundreds of these kits… I never thought to put them on school buses. We want to see these Stop the Bleed kits become as readily available as AEDs today.”
During training sessions, participants learned how to apply direct pressure, pack wounds, and use tourniquets. Sherie Smith, Vienna High School Nurse, commented on the importance of practice: “Blood is always scary. As they get the training, they get their hands on the equipment, it provides a stronger sense of confidence that they could actually save a life.”
Students also expressed appreciation for the program. Sophomore Dawson Haynes said, “It can definitely save a life; and to have so many provided for free, it’s awesome.”
With Stop the Bleed kits now accessible throughout district buildings and on all school buses, Vienna students and educators are better prepared to respond during emergencies before professional help arrives.
