Policy Statement

The University of Georgia (UGA) is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all faculty, staff, students, parents, and visitors to the University. To that end, the objective of the UGA Bleeding Control Kit Program is to establish a campus-wide oversight and to develop appropriate guidelines to ensure consistency in purchasing, placement, training, and departmental oversight of bleeding control kits on UGA properties.

Use of bleeding control kits will be in compliance with the responsibilities and procedures outlined in this program. This program applies to individuals trained on the proper use of bleeding control kits; departments with bleeding control kits currently in place; and departments that are considering, or in the process of purchasing, bleeding control kits.

Bleeding control kits are part of a national “Stop the Bleed” initiative. The campaign empowers individuals to act quickly and save lives. Working with the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, FEMA, the private sector, nonprofits, and the medical community, the “Stop the Bleed” campaign aims to raise awareness of life saving strategies and provide public access to bleeding control tools already used by first responders and the military. This campaign is the culmination of year-long collaboration among the National Security Council at the White House with partners, such as the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American College of Surgeons, Hartford Consensus, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Johnson & Johnson and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Reason for policy

The University of Georgia (UGA) is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all faculty, staff, students, parents, and visitors to the University. To that end, the objective of the UGA Emergency Bleeding Control Kit Program is to develop appropriate guidelines to ensure consistency in purchasing, placement, training, accountability and departmental oversight of bleeding control kits on all UGA properties.

Procedures

Scope

Use of bleeding control kits will comply with the responsibilities and procedures outlined in this program and consistent with local, state and federal guidelines. The UGA bleeding control kit program will apply to individuals trained in the proper use of a bleeding control kit, campus volunteer emergency assistants and first responders; campus departments with bleeding control kits currently in place; and departments that are considering, or in the process of purchasing, bleeding control kits. The program is not intended to include individuals who procure bleeding control kits without reporting their existence to the UGA Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) and/or campus departments who utilize bleeding control kits in their building without having volunteers trained on their use.

Responsibility

OEP responsibilities include:

• Maintain a campus-wide inventory of all known bleeding control kits
• Provide information to the University community on the preferred bleeding control kit and purchasing information in the UGAMart system
• Coordinate with Building Safety and Security Representatives (BSSRs) in University buildings to ensure that the BSSRs are informed of any new bleeding control kit additions to their building
• Provide technical assistance on the location for the bleeding control kit within a building
• Provide one bleeding control training class a year (or more by request) for campus bleeding control kit users
• Perform yearly checks of all bleeding control kits in campus buildings to ensure that the kits are still located in the same location and are intact
• Provide updates to the Bleeding Control Kit Guidelines document

UGA Building Safety and Security Representatives and/or Site Coordinator responsibilities include:

• Provide updates to their Building Emergency Action Plan relative to location of bleeding control kits in their building
• Provide assistance in marketing the Bleeding Control Kit program and guidelines
• Receive training on how to use the bleeding control kit

Bleeding Control Kit Purchase

A department or unit interested in obtaining a bleeding control kit for their building or area should contact OEP by calling (706) 542-5845 or via e-mail at https://prepare.uga.edu/ to submit their request. OEP will coordinate with the requesting department to provide the department with an overview of the UGA bleeding control kit program guidelines, discuss potential building locations for the bleeding control kit, and discuss training of departmental staff who volunteer to receive bleeding control training. Requesting departments are financially responsible for the bleeding control kit purchase. In addition, requesting departments must agree to purchase the bleeding control kit from the preferred UGA vendor through the UGAMart purchasing system.

Existing Bleeding control kits

UGA departments that have purchased a bleeding control kit prior to the implementation of the UGA Emergency Bleeding Control Kit Program Guidelines should provide OEP with the specific location(s) of their department bleeding control kit(s) within their building. This information will allow OEP to include all bleeding control kits in a campus-wide inventory and provide campus and local emergency responders with the bleeding control kit locations.

Bleeding Control Kit Placement, Signage, and Housing

Bleeding control kits located in buildings should be stored inside the automated external defibrillator (AED) cabinet with a sticker on the outside of the cabinet indicating that a “Stop the Bleed” kit is located inside the cabinet. Bleeding control kits may also be placed in departmental vehicles.

Maintenance and Inspections

OEP recommends that building personnel verify that bleeding control kits are in place once a year. Also, personnel should check to make sure that appropriate signage is posted. OEP will conduct a yearly check of each kit in campus buildings to confirm the bleeding control kit location, perform a brief visual inspection, and check to make sure the appropriate signage is in place.

Building personnel should immediately contact OEP if the bleeding control kit or signage are damaged or missing from the bleeding control kit storage area. The UGA Police will be contacted to file a report for any stolen or damaged bleeding control kits.

Training

Specific building personnel responsible for the bleeding control kit, BSSRs, and classroom instructors (for student use) are responsible for identifying several building staff members who will volunteer to complete a brief training on how to use a bleeding control kit.

OEP will coordinate classes on how to use a bleeding control kit once a year on campus for volunteers who are located in buildings where bleeding control kits are housed. Campus personnel may attend the free class on a volunteer basis in order to learn proper techniques to control and stop massive bleeding. Additional classes may be scheduled by request for specific buildings on campus.

Records Management

Emergency Bleeding Control Kit information will be maintained in the following manner:

• A listing of bleeding control kit locations will be maintained by OEP. Any changes in locations or new purchases should be reported immediately to OEP.
• OEP will perform and document an annual check of each bleeding control kit located in campus building.

Bleeding Control Kit Locations

OEP maintains an updated listing of all the bleeding control kits located in buildings on the UGA campus in Athens. Additionally, the bleeding control kit locations are entered in to the UGA emergency response database, maintained by the UGA Facilities Management Division. This database is available for access by the UGA Police Department, the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department and UGA OEP to help first responders identify building floor plans, safety equipment and fire-related equipment in campus buildings.

Forms/Instructions

Contact OEP for instructions on how to purchase a bleeding control kit using UGAmart at https://prepare.uga.edu/ or 706-542-5845.

Policy definitions

Building Safety and Security Representative

A representative selected by a Dean, Department Head or Director to serve as the building coordinator for emergency planning, safety and security activities. Each occupied UGA building should have one Primary BSSR and can have multiple Backup BSSR representatives. Backup BSSRs are often drawn from each department that occupies the building and may be a part of the Building Safety Team.

Bleeding Control Kit

Bleeding control kits contains non-expiring items including a CAT tourniquet, an emergency trauma dressing, compressed gauze, 2 pairs of gloves, trauma shears, a marker and an instruction card.

Emergency Medical Service (EMS)

Service providing out-of-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitutes a medical emergency.

Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP)

The Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for homeland security initiatives and coordination of emergency management activities at UGA.

Stop the Bleed

“Stop the Bleed” is a nationwide campaign to empower individuals to act quickly and save lives. For more information the national “Stop the Bleed” program, visit www.dhs.gov/stopthebleed, www.stopthebleedingcoalition.org or www.bleedingcontrol.org.

Responsible University Senior Administrator: Vice President for Finance and Administration

Responsible University Administrator: Senior Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration

Policy Owner: Office of Emergency Preparedness

Policy Contact: Adam Fouche, Director

Phone: 706-542-5845