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SCC provides tourniquet, crisis training for Macon County faculty

2018-08-28

FRANKLIN – No one wants to think about what it might be like to have a school shooting in a rural mountain community like Franklin or Otto.

But if ever a worst-case scenario transpires, everyone involved will be glad they planned ahead.

Approximately 400 public school teachers from throughout Macon County did just that on Monday, Aug. 21, by participating in some tourniquet and critical incident training provided by Southwestern Community College and assisted by Macon County Emergency Medical Services.

“The training has been excellent,” said Julie Rogers, who serves as a nurse for Macon County Schools. “I hope this becomes an annual event because these (tourniquet) kits can save a life. A lot of the training that we as school nurses are required to provide for these teachers is being done today, so this event works well. It allows us to take care of all the pieces at the same time.”

Over the summer, Macon County Schools became the first in SCC’s service area to purchase tourniquet kits for every classroom.

Funding for the kits was provided by multiple sources, including the Macon County Health Department. During the training, teachers learned how to properly apply the tourniquets to help stop bleeding until an emergency medical services professional arrives.

“I was very pleased with the training overall,” said Todd Sumner, EMS Program Coordinator and Instructor for SCC. “We had great turnout, and the teachers were extremely receptive to the techniques we showed them. If every classroom in America was equipped with these tourniquets, and if every teacher was trained to properly use them, lives could be saved every single year.”

For more information about the training provided through SCC’s Public Safety Training Center, call 828.306.7041 or visit www.southwesterncc.edu/pstc.
 

Macon County teacher Morgan Curtis learns to put on a tourniquet

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