Stop the Bleed: Bleeding Control Course (B-CON)

When faced with an emergency situation, you have the ability to save a life. Anyone can act as an immediate responder and save lives if they know what to do.

Stop the Bleed is a national campaign started by the Hartford Consensus to teach individuals the proper techniques to control life-threatening bleeding after an injury.

Take a Stop the Bleed Class

The University of Vermont Medical Center offers Stop the Bleed classes open to the community every month. Please note that due to COVID-19, we are unable to offer community classes on-site; check back for updates on scheduling.

Who Should Take the Stop the Bleed Class?

Everyone! You do not need medical experience or training to take a Stop the Bleed class. The free one-hour class is designed to teach the skills needed to save a life if life-threatening bleeding occurs.

Why Should I Take a Stop the Bleed Class?

Traumatic injuries from car crashes, chain saws, knives, skis and active aggressors can all result in life-threatening bleeding, and it can be just minutes until shock and even death occurs. The top cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding out, and waiting for first responders to arrive is not an option. 

Participant Testimonials

Participating in Stop the Bleed Trainings can prepare you to take the necessary actions to save a life.

Photo of Tristan and Jen, participants in the stop bleed training session

"When we returned to the truck, we saw that amidst the mess of broken glass, metal, antifreeze, oil, and who knows what else, there was now a substantial amount of blood on the ground. Having recently completed a Stop the Bleed training at the UVM Medical Center, I knew that we needed to get a tourniquet on the driver’s leg. Since that day, I now keep a tourniquet and a stop-the-bleed kit in my trunk at all times. You never know when it might be needed, and you never know when it might make a difference.” - Tristan M.

Read more Stop the Bleed testimonials.

Host a Stop the Bleed Training

Display table of stop the bleed items at an event

The University of Vermont Medical Center Stop the Bleed program coordinates with trainers across the state of Vermont. If you are interested in hosting a Stop the Bleed training in your community, let us know!

This training is completely free; the only requirement is that you have a room available to hold the training, a computer and a way to project the PowerPoint presentation. Our Stop the Bleed trainers will bring the materials for the hands-on portion of the training.

Organization that have hosted Stop the Bleed classes include:

  • Schools
  • Motorcycle dealerships
  • Ski teams
  • Senior centers
  • Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops
  • Manufacturing and processing plants
  • Businesses and corporate offices

Purchase a Personal Bleeding Control Kit

When you have the skills to save a life, it is beneficial to have the tools you need on hand. The UVM Medical Center Stop the Bleed program offers personal bleeding control kits for purchase for $40. The kits easily fit in a cabinet in your home or in the glove compartment in your car.

The personal bleeding control kits include:

  • Combat Approve Tourniquet (CAT)
  • Trauma shears
  • Trauma dressing
  • Permanent marker
  • Gauze
  • Gloves

At this time, we are only able to accept cash or check payment.

Become a Trainer

If you have a medical background, whether you’re an EMT, ski patrol, nurse or doctor, you can become a Stop the Bleed trainer. The UVM Medical Center program has training kits that you can borrow to lead classes and will connect you with local requests. Our program will do all the administrative follow up for you, from reporting to the national program to sending out certificates.

Learn more about how to become a trainer.

Our training kits include:

  • Combat Approved Tourniquets (CAT)
  • Two training limbs with three wounds each
  • Gauze
  • Cloth, such as a sheet or t-shirt
  • Sign-in sheets

If you need a training kit for an upcoming class, Stop the Bleed can lend one to you.

Request a Kit.

Download the App

Bleed Stop is a free app created by Geisinger Hospital to help walk you through the basic steps of controlling or stopping bleeding. The app is available for download on Google Play or the Apple Store.