YORK COUNTY 一 The York County Fire Department will host a whole blood drive on Aug. 20 in partnership with the Blood Connection, part of an effort to keep whole blood supplied to crews who may need it to save patients before they reach a hospital.
The blood drive on Aug. 20 runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fire Station 1 at 118 Dare Road.
York County Fire Chief Allen W. Baldwin said county’s whole blood, which launched in November 2005, reflects a broader regional push to bring emergency-room level care into the field.
“I had worked for another department previously and we had instituted the program and we saw some very good success, medical and trauma patients, just being able to provide a higher level of care sooner,” Baldwin said. “In the past we would have to wait to get you to the hospital to do this or bring doctors out to the field for severe trauma and entrapment to give whole blood or rely on a longer response from another agency.”
Whole Blood – red and white blood cells and platelets suspended in plasma –as defined by
The American Red Cross is administered to trauma victims and critical patients both at the scene and during transport.
Standing up the program took several years for training, equipment purchases and planning. Blood is supplied by the Region Seven EMS Council and stored at two York County stations, including the Grafton station hosting Wednesday’s drive.
More than 30 units of blood were donated during the blood drive in February and officials hope to top that number during the August drive. The Blood Connection, a nonprofit blood service that supplies hospitals and EMS agencies across the region, has partnered with York County on the effort.
“So far, The Blood Connection has held one blood drive in York County, and that drive exceeded our expectations,” said Amaris Jenkins, partnership and media specialist with the Blood Connection. “The need for blood is constant, so maintaining that level of community participation is incredibly important for the patients and hospitals we serve.”
