In October 2015, the federal government launched the “Stop the Bleed” campaign. This initiative aims to provide people with the proper knowledge and tools on how to stop life-threatening bleeding, especially during emergency situations. The campaign tapped almost every sector of society including the private sector, the medical community, academics, as well as non-profit organizations.

The Stop the Bleed campaign helped common people gain incisive knowledge directly from first responders, medical experts, and the military on how to react during emergency situations. Due to this campaign, Stop the Bleed has become as ubiquitous as CPR, “Stop, Drop and Roll,” and AED training.

Several studies have showed that a proper application of bleeding control kits to a patient suffering from bleeding will raise their survival rate by up to 80 percent. During emergency situations, even the fastest first responders will take a couple of minutes before they can apply the necessary aid to victims. On the other hand, given the same situation, it is highly likely that there are passersby or bystanders close to the victim. A common person, with knowledge of how to administer basic life-saving techniques plays an important factor in saving the victim’s life.

Studies also show that bystander actions in saving lives is a direct result of competence acquired from training. In some cases, the administration of immediate care from bystanders at the immediate area of accident may mean the difference between life and death. Studies also revealed that bystanders, who have experience with CPR, AED or the use of bleeding kits, are more likely to intervene on the scene of a traumatic injury, especially when there are no medical experts nearby.

Some states have passed legislation that instructs the placement of bleeding kits in public places. While most people have first aid kits in their home or their car, the same cannot be said with public places like train stations and parks. Aside from putting bleeding kits on public places, some cities have also organized free training courses to train the public on how to respond in emergency situations. This essentially turns normal civilians into first responders and increases survival chances for everyone.