ACS, Lifesaving Technologies launch nationwide effort to expand bleeding control readiness

Editor's Note

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has partnered with Lifesaving Technologies to expand access to emergency response equipment and training across the US, the ACS announced on September 3. The collaboration builds on the ACS Stop the Bleed program, which has already trained more than 5 million people to control life-threatening bleeding.

Through a new licensing agreement, Lifesaving Technologies will distribute ACS-authorized bleeding control supplies and deploy next-generation emergency aid stations in schools, workplaces, public spaces, and community events. These stations will take multiple forms, from wall-mounted units and mobile kits to digital kiosks, all carrying the ACS badge as a trusted mark of trauma readiness.

As detailed in the announcement, the partnership aims to strengthen the first links in the “Trauma Chain of Survival,” equipping bystanders to intervene before professional responders arrive. Research shows survival rates can improve by up to 30% when bleeding control is administered quickly. “Survival doesn’t begin at the hospital, it begins in the field,” said Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma.

The initiative goes beyond distributing kits, emphasizing training and community education. ACS Executive Director Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, noted the goal is to ensure that every community has access to both equipment and the knowledge to use it. The collaboration is designed as a scalable model supported by grants, sponsors, and local champions to sustain widespread deployment.