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Act F.A.S.T Initiative

State: NE Type: Promising Practice Year: 2018

The Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps serves a mostly rural population of 240,000 citizens in 23 counties of Central Nebraska. There continues to be a growing threat of public harm and injury that causes significant life threatening injuries within the arms-length of the general public. Research has shown that a severe bleed can cause a loss of life well before EMS arrival. The Act F.A.S.T initiative trains public and private citizens the importance of early bleeding control through the use of a tourniquet, as well as hands-only CPR. This innovative training program is produced by the CNMRC and hosts training and equipment to general populations, agencies, factories and public gathering areas. We are currently involved in the education areas, providing training and wall kits to area schools and teachers. These kits are hung near the AED and include our logo and supplies to control a severe hemorrhage. Currently we have distributed hundreds of our Act F.A.S.T kits, as well as trained multiple school districts and factories. We have received outstanding word of mouth through this initiative and are scheduling training well into 2018 at this point. We have also joined forces with local Fire and EMS to grow our initiative. AARP has asked us to create and produce training for their groups that would be specifically tailored to the older populations.
The Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps initiative of Act F.A.S.T (First Available Simple Treatment) is the first program to target on three specific health related emergencies. Bleeding control training includes the use of identifying a severe bleed, personal safety during an emergency event, improvised tourniquets, and management of a severe bleed utilizing a tourniquet until additional help arrives. Our Hands-Only CPR addresses and trains a citizen with little to no medical experience the importance of CPR and the process of providing Chest Compressions without the need for mouth to mouth resuscitation. It is proven that many citizens are uncomfortable in providing life saving measures to a stranger or family member during a cardiac event due to the fact that they might further injure them. they do not know the process, or they are afraid of contracting an illness with close proximity care. This basic training recognizes and instructs on the efforts needed to save a life when someone's heart stops. The third portion of this initiative is to introduce the effects of Narcan or Naloxone to the public and the effects of Opioid overdoses in our society. Although there is a large population of Opioid users in Central and Rural Nebraska, the knowledge and treatment is sparsely known. Our interactive training includes the Train-the-Trainer module and encourages trainees to share their knowledge and training received to broaden our efforts further. The Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator also created and produced a one-of-a-kind training simulator for proper tourniquet use. One of the most important factors of correctly applying a tourniquet is to effectively stop the arterial bleed. In order to achieve this important task, it is important to simulate the process. This training device utilizes a synthetic arm with a simulated injury. This simulation includes recirculating simulated blood that spurts from the wound. As the trainee tightens the tourniquet to the proper restriction, the blood ceases. This real life simulation has guided the trainees to physically see and administer the proper care with a result oriented process.
Motor Vehicle Injuries
The goal of the Act F.A.S.T initiative is to train general, vulnerable and public populations the importance of 3 distinct life saving measures. The Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps has partnered with local community hospitals, EMS and Fire Agencies, factories, agriculture and places of mass gatherings as well as to the general public on the importance of providing care of a life threatening bleed caused from trauma, hands-only CPR for the care of a cardiac arrest and Narcan for an Opioid overdose. This training is presented in a public forum with both medical and non-medical citizens that may become a bystander to a catastrophic event. This event may be at a public gathering like a concert, movie or church gathering, driving down the interstate, or even at home with a power tool. The person that needs life saving measures may be a complete stranger, an acquaintance or even a family member. These life saving measures are demonstrated using interactive activities, conversational format, video and hands-on training demonstrations. It is a lively and upbeat training designed for the entire family. Specific training has been produced on three levels, school and education facilities, employers, and EMS trained personnel (ie Police officers). We began this initiative with creating the training portions and presentations. The second step was to introduce the training to our roster members and gain them the knowledge of training these practices. The third step was to produce kits that included a wall hanging public access kit that included the necessary supplies to stop a severe bleed. Once the three steps were accomplished, we began to engage local schools to receive the training and wall kits. In order to receive the wall kits, the teachers and administrators were required to attend our training. We provide the training at no cost as well as one wall kit per school. Schools have the option to acquire additional wall kits if they desire. We also worked along local supporting EMS and Fire agencies to provide them with the training and proper use of a tourniquet. Tourniquet training is a newer concept to EMS and few have received the training during their classroom license requirements. This is an ongoing initiative that will go far into an estimation of 2019 for our area. We have received several requests to expand our training throughout the state as well as into other states. This Act F.A.S.T initiative created and developed solely by the Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps has expanded to include public and private healthcare facilities, public and private agencies, and agriculture. We have joined forces with 3 large hospitals in our areas and have held training within their departments. Mary Lanning Hospital has joined forces and wish to place 2 Act F.A.S.T wall kits on every floor of their hospital. The startup costs and sustainability include the amount needed to produce the F.A.S.T kits as well as the Wall Kits and travel across the areas for the requested training. Each F.A.S.T kit costs approximately $20 to produce and the wall kits are close to $100 each. We have currently provided training to multiple school districts across our 23 county area, hospitals and have scheduled training already booked through 2018.
It is the goal of the Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps to produce an educational format training for three distinct life saving measures. Our initiative Act F.A.S.T (First Available Simple Treatment) is geared towards bystander life saving measures without medical experience. This initiative includes bleeding control of a severe bleed caused by trauma, hands-only CPR for a witnessed cardiac arrest, and the education on Narcan for Opioid overdose. The Central Nebraska Medical Reserve Corps has a foundation set of training practices, procedures and subject matter experts well prepared to provide this training well into the year 2019. The distribution of our F.A.S.T kits and wall kits require attendance of our provided training. The training includes the Train-the-Trainer module so that the expansion of trained individuals continues to expand. At each of our trainings a sign-in list is generated. The beginning of our program includes education on the Medical Reserve Corps and who/what we are. This has generated an increase in volunteership also. We are able to track the attendees as well as the physical number of F.A.S.T kits and wall kits distributed. We have specific target audiences, with the initial being law enforcement and school facilities. Our second wave will include mass gathering locations, agriculture and factories. All of our training is open to the public. Our most recent success was hosting the Nation's Largest Save-A-Life training on October 23rd. With media coverage, PSA's, Social Media Blitzes, Public banners and announcements, we were able to generate a training that included over 150 citizens, boy scouts, bank employees, public officials and general populations of all ages. We were immediately requested to host this same training in 3 more cities across our regions with Nation Largest Trainings scheduled in December, January and February 2018. These trainings include several members from our roster to assist with the training, parking, information and assistance roles.
Sustainability is a necessary and realized avenue to continue this important initiative. Since the foundation of the program has been successfully accomplished, sustainability will include the ability to travel to complete the trainings, the supplies required to address the public's need for emergent and readily available supplies as well as managing the expanded opportunities the Act F.A.S.T initiative is showing. It is our intent that the Act F.A.S.T initiative becomes a nationwide recognized program to provide bystanders the knowledge of the 3 most posing life threats in society today and in the future. This program is a one-of-a-kind initiative that includes the general public, vulnerable populations, public and private agencies, medical and non-medical credentialed citizens, that include both younger and older populations that will save countless lives throughout Nebraska and Beyond. In order to accomplish this goal, we project our sustainability will include continued assistance via NACCHO, public donations and volunteer involvement.
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