CPHS Biomed Club students now have valuable, life-saving skills thanks to training from the Crown Point Fire Department. Erik Schmitt of CPFD worked with students in an hour-long, hands-on training called Stop the Bleed. Stop the Bleed is a program that teaches participants three steps to stop life-threatening blood loss - the leading cause of preventable death after injury. Worldwide, the program has trained more than one million people.

Junior Megan Szpak and Senior Alexanda Bajmakovich both thought the training was valuable. “Stop the Bleed training was a great experience to receive hands-on learning related to the medical field,” Bajmakovich said. Szpak agreed and says Biomed Club gives her the opportunity to learn more than what’s available in the classroom. 

Biomed Club sponsor Kelly Chevalier, who also teaches Dual Credit Biology at CPHS, said the students were even more excited to learn that all of Crown Point High School’s AED stations are equipped with the tourniquets to provide these lifesaving strategies. Biomed Club includes students in grades 9-12 and generally meets once a month to hear from guest speakers in biomedical science careers. 

Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner said his department welcomed the opportunity to train students. “One of the great aspects of our job is when we have the opportunity to get out into the schools and provide them with this type of training and education that they may use one day to save a life.”

You can learn more about Stop the Bleed on their website, www.stopthebleed.org.