North Seattle College EMT Program receives equipment grant from Medic One Foundation

Photo courtesy North Seattle College

North Seattle College’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program recently was awarded an equipment grant from the Medic One Foundation to purchase new “Stop the Bleed” wound-packing training aids and automated external defibrillator (AED) trainers.

While wound packing is a relatively new skill in the EMT scope of practice, it has been added to the curriculum at North Seattle College. The new wound-packing trainers will allow students to practice and hone their skills in a safe, controlled environment.

As for the AED trainers, to be effective in cardiac arrest resuscitation, CPR should be performed with a portable defibrillator until emergency services arrive. North’s EMT students spend a considerable amount of time with cardiac arrest management training, but much of the existing AED trainer equipment is old and in poor condition.

“Having reliable AED trainers will help the EMT students increase their readiness to care for members of our community who experience cardiac arrest,” said Megan Bloomingdale, program coordinator of EMT and Fire Science at North.

“The wound-packing equipment is also used by our Safety and Security team when trained by EMT faculty to help ensure North’s security officers are equipped to perform emergency care on campus if needed.”

The total grant from the Medic One Foundation was more than $8,000.

About North Seattle College

Established in 1970, North Seattle College provides learning opportunities for a diverse group of more than 11,000 students each year.