Seconds Matter: Acadian Ambulance Shares Tips to Stop the Bleed

March 19, 2026 – Acadian Ambulance encourages the public to learn lifesaving bleeding-control skills through the national Stop the Bleed initiative. In emergencies involving severe bleeding, bystanders are often the first to act before EMS arrives, and quick action can help save a life.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed program reported that more than 5 million people nationwide have been trained to recognize and control severe bleeding, helping save lives before emergency responders arrive. 

If someone is bleeding heavily, taking immediate action can make a critical difference. Stopthebleed.org shares these tips that can help bystanders assist a victim:

1. Call 911 right away and protect yourself by wearing gloves, if available.

2. Find the source of bleeding. Open or remove the clothing over the wound so you can see it. 

3. Stop the bleeding – all methods use firm pressure.

If you don’t have a trauma kit:

• Cover the wound with a clean cloth (shirt, towel, etc.).
• Press down hard with both hands.
• If the wound is deep, stuff the cloth into the wound first.
• Maintain pressure until help arrives.

If you do have a trauma kit but no tourniquet:

• Expose the wound and wipe the pooled blood. 
• Pack the wound with hemostatic gauze, plain gauze, or a clean cloth. 
• Press down hard with both hands. 
• Hold pressure until responders take over. 

If you have a tourniquet and the bleeding is from the limb: 

• Place it 2-3 inches above the wound.
• Tighten it until bleeding stops.
• Secure the tourniquet in place. 
• Note the time it was applied but 

Acadian Ambulance encourages members of the public to attend a community stop the bleed training if available, to practice these lifesaving skills.

Acadian’s National EMS Academy offers EMT training at its campuses across Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee. For more information on upcoming classes, visit www.BecomeAMedic.com. 

Acadian Ambulance is the largest employee-owned ambulance service in the nation, providing transportation and medical services to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, and a member of the American Ambulance Association, dedicated to safeguarding the future of mobile healthcare through advocacy, thought leadership, and education. Its sister division, Acadian Air Med, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.

Source: Acadian Ambulance

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