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'Stop The Bleed' Campaign Could Save Lives

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4)- Beginning Wednesday, following the CBS hit show "Code Black," members of the cast will spread the word about life-saving tools in a new Public Service Announcement.

"You've probably seen these boxes on our set," actress Marcia Gay Harding says in the 'Stop the Bleed' PSA. "They're bleeding control kits."

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"Soon you'll be seeing them on the walls of public spaces," actor Rob Lowe continues.

It is part of a White House initiative that puts the knowledge of first responders into the hands of the public using the bleeding control kits. Much like CPR devices and AED kits are readily available in places like airports, shopping malls and businesses , the kits will also be easily accessible in case of an emergency.

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"We want to have bleeding control kits in the same types of areas where there's a lot of population and a lot of potential for people to either get injured or where there is potential for accidents," said Justin Harper, paramedic and Education & Training Chief with Denver Health.

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The kits are basic in form – a small red case with a tourniquet, gauze, gloves and other first aid supplies. What's inside, however, can save a life if used properly. That's why Denver Health and its paramedics team are offering classes to anyone interested in learning how to use them.

"If you put a little training behind that need and desire to help people," Harper told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann, "you'll be a lot more confident in stepping into a situation that may seem a little scary at first."

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Adam Wehrle is a paramedic at Denver Health as well as the External Education coordinator. He said the ninety minute classes help people learn how to handle a patient with a severe bleed when emergency responders are still on the way.

"Car accidents, industrial accidents, construction, at home with a knife," Wehrle said. "If you're using chainsaws, if you're hunting, if you're fishing, this is a life saving device.

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It doesn't take long for a bleeding person to die from blood loss – it can happen in as little as three minutes, according to Harper. Though first responders rush to the scene of an emergency as quickly as they can, bystanders can be critical to a person's survival.

"The people who are really going to make a difference in a severe bleeding situation are the people that are around," he said.

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and reports during the week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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