CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services has launched a new whole blood program, allowing emergency responders to take whole blood directly to the scene of an emergency.
Fire Chief Tim Sweat proposed the initiative at a July commission meeting, saying that “the golden hour, the first 60 minutes, of our work are critical” for lifesaving measures.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
This innovative program enables firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs to administer life-saving whole blood transfusions at the site of incidents such as crashes, shootings, or stabbings, potentially reducing mortality rates by 11% for every minute saved.
“This is a life-saving treatment with whole blood transfusion, even before reaching the hospital emergency department,” a representative from Southern Regional Medical Center, which supplies the blood, said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- When a motorcyclist’s hoodie says, ‘Even GSP can’t catch a ghost,’ GSP says challenge accepted
- Brian Snitker steps down as manager of the Atlanta Braves
- Mom charged with murder after 7-year-old son’s head gets stuck in car window
The program involves carrying two units of O-positive blood in coolers, ready to be used by a supervisor on the scene.
This allows emergency crews to perform transfusions immediately, either at the scene or in the ambulance, officials told Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach.
“Bringing whole blood into the field is what the body’s losing, so replacing with what it’s losing gives the body the oxygen, the nutrients needed to sustain life,” Deputy Chief Zach Botkin said.
With the introduction of this whole blood program, Clayton County is at the forefront of emergency medical response, providing critical care faster and potentially saving more lives.
“Now we have the ability to administer whole blood products in the field. Prior to this, we couldn’t do that until arriving at the receiving hospital,” Sweat said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
