Grand Traverse Metro Fire, Munson offer free lifesaving training session

Residents who want to learn how to stop life-threatening bleeding or perform CPR will have a free chance at Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department Station 11 in Traverse City. Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department and Munson Healthcare will host the community session May 19 at 3000 Albany St., and participants will be able to register for either part of the evening or both.

The first session, Stop the Bleed, will run from 5 to 6 p.m. The second, Family and Friends CPR, will run from 6 to 8 p.m. The training is open to community members, and the format is aimed at giving ordinary residents practical skills they can use in the critical minutes before professional responders arrive.

Stop the Bleed teaches the three key steps to control severe bleeding. The American College of Surgeons says a life-threatening bleeding injury can happen anywhere, and the person next to the victim may be the one most likely to prevent fatal bleeding. That makes the lesson relevant far beyond a hospital or ambulance setting, from a crash scene to a fall at home, a youth sports field or a community event.

The CPR portion carries the same urgency. Munson Life Support Training Center is an authorized provider of American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED education, giving the evening a clinical backbone through a local health system that regularly trains people in life-saving response. In a county where travel times and weather can affect how quickly help arrives, bystander action can make the difference for a neighbor, coworker or family member.

Grand Traverse County Emergency Management Department says it plans and coordinates with public safety agencies and nongovernmental organizations to protect residents, employees and visitors across Grand Traverse County. The free class fits that broader effort to build local resilience before an emergency happens, not after it starts.