FCFRD News Blog : EMS WEEK 2022: How Stop The Bleed Saved One Fairfax County Resident's Life

Chantilly VA

20 May, 2022

1:29 PM

Description

Press release from the FCFRD News Blog: May 19, 2022 On January 6, 2022, 68-year-old John Leech was cleaning a World War II Colt 45 when the weapon misfired. The round penetrated his left hand and entered his left thigh, completely dissecting his femoral artery. Mr. Leech began to rapidly lose large amounts of blood. His wife called 9-1-1 and began applying pressure on the wound with an oven mitt, sometimes using her foot to apply the amount of pressure needed to slow the bleeding. Two Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) Officers arrived and used Mr. Leech's belt as a makeshift tourniquet. They assisted in applying direct pressure until Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units arrived and were able to treat and transport Mr. Leech to the hospital where he was immediately taken into emergency surgery. Thankfully, Mr. Leech survived his injuries. Without the quick actions of his wife and the FCPD officers, he may not have survived his injuries. Bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death after injury. In order to encourage and educate the community to learn how to save a life, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department developed a Resuscitation Reunion program. The program reunites patients with the by standers and first responders who helped save their lives. In most of these situations, it is the immediate actions of a bystander that makes the difference in the patient's survival. The Resuscitation Reunion program introduces these extraordinary individuals and their stories to shed light on how the actions of others can have a huge impact in a medical emergency. The program doesn't stop there. In addition to bringing attention to the immense impact of bystander intervention in a medical emergency, the Resuscitation Reunion program aims to educate the public on the skills needed to save a life. In Mr. Leech's case, the FCFRD partnered with Inova Trauma Services to host a Stop the Bleed event at a local high school. Approximately 100 people came out to listen to Mr. Leech and a trauma surgeon talk about his injury. Afterwards, trained professionals taught everyone how to properly apply pressure or a tourniquet in order to stop a bleeding injury. In other reunions that involved bystander CPR, events have been held to teach Hands Only CPR to the public. By shining a light on the on the live-saving actions of everyday people, many of them strangers to the people they saved, the Resuscitation Reunion program aims to increase the number of medical emergencies that receive bystander intervention prior to emergency medical services arrival throughout Fairfax County and save lives. This press release was produced by the FCFRD News Blog. The views expressed here are the author's own.