City of Austin
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Participants trained to act as “Immediate Responders,” with combined Stop the Bleed and Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) class
The Austin Police Department (APD), Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS), and Austin Fire Department (AFD) hosted a combined Stop the Bleed and Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training on Thursday for multiple LGBTQIA+ businesses ahead of the Austin Pride Festival and Parade. This unique combination class equipped participants with essential life-saving skills and preparedness strategies, empowering civilians to act during a tragedy.
As a testament to community solidarity, APD's Lesbian and Gay Police Officers Association (LGPOA) donated ten large Stop the Bleed kits to LGBTQIA+ bars and clubs, ensuring they have appropriate life-saving tools if and when they need them. The kits are designed to enable users to take swift and effective action during traumatic incidents, complementing the skills acquired through the training.
Stop the Bleed training was initially developed by the American College of Surgeons and is focused on empowering participants to control severe bleeding. This critical skill can make a life-saving difference in emergencies. Led by ATCEMS paramedics and AFD firefighters, participants received hands-on training in techniques such as tourniquet application, wound packing, and pressure dressing usage.
Simultaneously, the CRASE class, guided by experienced officers from APD, provided participants with invaluable insights into situational awareness, tactical maneuvers, and communication strategies to enhance individual and group safety.
ATCEMS and AFD began teaching Stop the Bleed classes in January after a small group of paramedics and firefighters (also part of the LGBTQIA+ community) fielded concerns from other community members following the November 2022 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado.
"Immediately after the Colorado Springs attack, members of Austin's LGBTQIA+ community reached out and expressed feeling particularly vulnerable and may not know what to do in a similar situation," said ATCEMS Captain Shannon Koesterer. "We came up with the idea to provide this training, to empower our community and give them the knowledge and tools to potentially save a life."
Soon after, officers from APD joined the effort, adding their knowledge and expertise in teaching CRASE classes, and all three agencies began offering the combined training. Thursday was the 12th Stop the Bleed class and the third combined with CRASE. The effort has trained more than 300 community members in 2023.
"We pray our community never faces a mass casualty or active shooter scenario, but knowing the community is better trained to help save lives after today reminds me that our relationship with the community is strong and Austin is immensely resilient, President of the LGPOA Sgt. Michael Crumrine stated." Especially when it comes to someone trying to hurt a community member simply because they are different."
The joint training was hosted at Highland Lounge, where participants from area LGBTQIA+ businesses gathered to acquire vital life-saving skills and situational awareness strategies.
The collaboration among ATCEMS, APD, AFD, the LGPOA, and Austin's entertainment district businesses exemplifies the power of community partnerships in creating a safer environment for everyone.