Local court officials learn to save lives through Stop the Bleed initiative

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Denise Dittman and her colleagues at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse learned how to save a life Friday through a national initiative called Stop the Bleed.

'With everything that goes on in the world nowadays, I think it's a very good thing to learn,” said Dittman, Mecklenburg County clerk of court.

In 2017, the nation saw another year of mass shootings unfold at places like a country concert in Las Vegas, a church service in Texas and at a Republican baseball practice outside Washington, D.C., among others.

In the shooting in Washington D.C., a Capitol police officer, originally from North Carolina, saved Congressman Steve Scalise's life by utilizing his training.

The Stop the Bleed initiative is an event that teaches anyone who could be a witness to a violent act how to respond before paramedics arrive.

It’s a hands-on experience using fake wounds and special kits to practice patching up victims.

Angela Clarkson, a registered nurse at Novant Health, administered Friday's training.

She laid out a kit on the table that participants would use.

The kits are identical to what courthouse staff would use to help someone in case of a shooting. The kits are at two entrances at the Mecklenburg County courthouse. They are also all over Charlotte Douglas airport and could be seen in more places throughout Charlotte.

"We want to put Stop the Bleed kits everywhere there's an AED, so community members feel empowered to act and not have to wait," Clarkson said. "You have an instruction booklet, so if someone's never even participated in the training, they can still respond with this kit."

Dittman now knows, through the training, how stop someone from bleeding to death.

"If I had to do it, I know I could do it,” Dittman said. “And it does make you feel good because you want to help people."

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