County Employees Complete 'Stop The Bleed' Course

A mis-step on a sidewalk, or unseen ice, can land a pedestrian on the sidewalk with injuries. Witnessing an accident on the highway quickly leads to the question of where is the nearest medical professional. What if more people were trained in basic response to an injury or illness.

Several Cheyenne County employees completed a program in December that could answer that question. The majority of Cheyenne County employees along with various State of Nebraska employees, completed the nationally recognized STOP THE BLEED course of instruction presented by the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (NIRMA). STOP THE BLEED is a national awareness program designed to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency, according to a release from Jessica Brown, Cheyenne County Safety Committee Chairman/Director. The program is endorsed by agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The training is offered by health departments, hospitals, clinics, emergency medical providers, fire departments, community emergency response teams, and law enforcement agencies.

Uncontrolled bleeding is a major cause of preventable death, according to Brown's release. She said a person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes. About 40 percent of trauma-related deaths worldwide are due to bleeding. The STOP THE BLEED training provides the knowledge necessary to properly apply a tourniquet or pack a wound when necessary.

The training also lead to a request on Feb. 19 to purchase Bleeding Control Trauma Packs. The kits would be strategically located throughout the courthouse and county facilities. The county commissioners approved purchasing 11 of the kits. The kits include gloves, scissors, gauze, larger dressings, a Coban-type compression wrap and a tourniquet. The commissioners also approved purchasing Celox First Aid Hemostatic Blood Clot Granules for the kits.

The Cheyenne County Commissioners recently approved a modest price increase for housing out of county prisoners.

Early this year, the commissioners met with Sheriff Adam Frerichs, discussing the cost of housing prisoners. On Jan. 8, Sheriff Frerichs said former Sheriff John Jenson researched costs and determined $45 per day was a fair price. Prices in the region include one at $45 per day with prices potentially increasing, depending on the services the inmate needs.

In Cheyenne County, the per-day costs would increase according to specific needs of the inmate, Frerichs said.

In the Feb. 19 meeting of the commissioners, Frerichs requested the rates increase to $50 per day.

The Cheyenne County Jail has a maximum capacity of 24 men. Female offenders are housed at the Garden County jail.

The discussion came about regarding an agreement to house Deuel County inmates. Deuel County returned a completed contract with Cheyenne County Feb. 22.

The board also approved signed a $25,000 Tourism Marketing Grant from the State of Nebraska, and approved two grants from the Visitors Committee. The Sidney Jaycees were awarded $434.89 for maintenance of flags at the Pony Express monument. The National Pony Express Association backed the project with $1,000. The Visitors Committee also awarded a $650 grant to the Cheyenne County Historical Association. The grant is $650 for printing new Fort Sidney brochures.

The meeting also included an executive session to review performance evaluations for Planning and Zoning Administrator Colleen Terman, Building and Grounds Superintendent Roger Conley and Tourism Director Kevin Howard.