The First Minute Project Begins Discussions with Jeffco Public Schools to Implement a Bleeding Control Program District-Wide
The First Minute Project is taking an important step toward bringing life-saving bleeding control training and equipment to schools across Jefferson County.
Following the successful implementation of our bleeding control program at Conifer High School, The First Minute Project has begun discussions with Jefferson County Public Schools (Jeffco) about implementing a comprehensive, district-wide bleeding control program throughout Jeffco schools.
Jeffco Public Schools is the second-largest school district in Colorado, making this a significant opportunity to expand access to training and life-saving equipment for school staff across the county.
Taking the Next Step
Our first meeting with Jeffco district representatives marked an important milestone for The First Minute Project. We had the opportunity to explain our mission, share what we have learned from implementing our program at the school level, and discuss our strategy for bringing bleeding control training and supplies at a much larger scale.
A district-wide program presents unique challenges. Training hundreds or potentially thousands of school employees and students requires careful coordination, scheduling, logistics, instructors, and equipment.
The First Minute Project brings tourniquets, gauze and shears to our first Jeffco School District meeting.
We recognize that school districts already have extremely demanding schedules and numerous responsibilities to manage. Our goal is to develop a program that works within the district's existing structure while minimizing disruption to schools and staff.
Training Hundreds of Staff at a Time
The First Minute Project provides the training infrastructure necessary to accommodate several hundred participants at a time.
However, successfully training staff across an entire school district requires significant coordination between The First Minute Project, district leadership, and individual schools.
This is where our statewide network of trainers becomes an important resource.
Through our network of trained instructors and community partners, The First Minute Project is confident that we can provide the number of instructors and the quantity of training equipment necessary to reach school staff across the district in a relatively short period of time.
Our objective is not simply to provide a presentation. We want school employees to receive hands-on training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to recognize life-threatening bleeding and take immediate action while professional responders are on the way.
Equipping Every Classroom
Training is only one part of the equation.
A trained staff member needs access to the right equipment when an emergency occurs.
That is why The First Minute Project is also working closely with district representatives to explore funding strategies that could equip classrooms throughout Jeffco with essential bleeding-control supplies, including:
Tourniquets
Gauze
Trauma shears
Our goal is to identify ways to provide this equipment throughout the district while keeping the financial impact on the community as low as possible.
The success of our Conifer High School project demonstrated that community partnerships and fundraising can make a significant difference. By building on those lessons and working directly with district leadership, we hope to develop a sustainable strategy for equipping classrooms across Jeffco.
Building a District-Wide Program
This is the first time The First Minute Project has had the opportunity to sit down with school district representatives and explain our mission and the strategies we have developed for implementing a bleeding control program on a district-wide scale.
We understand that implementing a program across an entire school district will take time, coordination, and continued collaboration.
But we also believe the potential impact is enormous.
A serious bleeding emergency can happen anywhere; in a classroom, hallway, cafeteria, athletic facility, or during a lockdown. When that happens, the people already inside the school will be the first people capable of providing meaningful life saving support.
Our mission is to help ensure those people are trained, prepared, and equipped.
What’s Next?
The First Minute Project is committed to continuing our discussions and working closely with Jeffco Public Schools as we explore how to bring this program to schools throughout the district.
We will be meeting again with the district reps shortly to discuss what the next steps are in our partnership and implementation of a bleeding control program for Jefferson County Public Schools.
The First Minute Project looks forward to continuing this partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools and working toward the day when every school throughout the district has a comprehensive bleeding control program in place.
This is just the beginning and we are excited about what we can accomplish together.
