CHICAGO: In a first for Major League Baseball, the Chicago Cubs have taken an important step to keep fans, staff, and players safe in case a bleeding emergency occurs by installing trauma kits at Wrigley Field. Details about this initiative will be shared this evening at the Wrigley Field Advisory Meeting at 6 p.m. for community members at the 19th Police District Community Room.
During the offseason, the Cubs worked with the City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), as part of their Safe Chicago initiative, to install American College of Surgeons STOP THE BLEED® kits around Wrigley Field and train ballpark staff and Cubs associates on how to respond if someone is bleeding from an injury. A person can bleed to death in as little as five minutes, and it is estimated that 57% of civilian deaths from blood loss could have been prevented if proper bleeding control techniques were applied.*
“A bleeding emergency can occur at any time without warning. The Cubs are setting an important example for all teams and stadiums across the United States. Like AED devices, easy access to STOP THE BLEED® kits, and to individuals who are trained to use them, can make a lifesaving difference,” said ACS Executive Director & CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.
The Wrigley Field staff and Cubs associates who have been trained to STOP THE BLEED® learned the three basic techniques of bleeding control: apply direct pressure, pack the wound, or apply a tourniquet. Anyone can take the course to equip themselves with the skills necessary to save a life in a bleeding emergency. Every kit installed includes a sticker with a QR code that links to an online version of the STOP THE BLEED® course.
“The health and safety of our associates, ballpark staff, players and millions of fans that visit the Wrigley Field campus each year is our number one priority,” said Cubs Senior Vice President of Operations David Cromwell. “Installing these kits and providing trauma response training arms us with enhanced techniques that could help save lives.”
The STOP THE BLEED® program has already trained more than 2.6 million people around the world and helped advocate for state and local legislation to install STOP THE BLEED® kits in schools and public places and train the public in these lifesaving techniques. Every trauma kit that has been installed includes a tourniquet, wound packing gauze, a space blanket, trauma shears, an instructional manual, gloves, and a marker.
"Since 2021, OEMC Emergency Managers have trained more than 2,000 individuals including staff at Wrigley Field on how to utilize the kits before first responders arrive during an emergency,” said Rich Guidice, Executive Director of OEMC. “I'm certainly proud to add Wrigley Field to our growing list of locations that have installed Safe Chicago Bleeding Control Kits, along with our partnership with the American College of Surgeons STOP THE BLEED® program to provide residents with the tools and training in order to help save lives."
OEMC’s Safe Chicago initiative has helped make bleeding control kits and training widely accessible throughout the City of Chicago. Safe Chicago was launched in 2019 by OEMC in partnership with the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Department of Assets, Information & Services, and the ACS STOP THE BLEED® program. The Safe Chicago program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI).
STOP THE BLEED® was launched in October 2015 by the White House, with a call to action to begin training more people to become immediate responders during a bleeding emergency until professional help arrives. The ACS STOP THE BLEED® program is operated under a licensing agreement granted by the Department of Defense.
More information is available at Chicago.gov/OEMC, and the STOP THE BLEED® website has details on how to get trained.
Chicago Cubs fans and residents are also encouraged to download the new Chicago OEMC App as a public safety tool providing Safe Chicago information, preparedness tips, emergency alerts, game day weather information, and more in the palm of your hand. The app is now available through the Apple App and Google Play stores. To immediately download, click here or visit the website Chicago.gov/oemc.
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* Lei R, Swartz MD, Harvin JA, et al. Stop the Bleed Training empowers learners to act to prevent unnecessary hemorrhagic death. Am J Surg. 2019 Feb;217(2):368-372.
