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Goochland Fire Rescue starts EMS whole‑blood program to treat hemorrhagic shock in the field
Summary
Fire Rescue briefed the board on a new EMS whole‑blood protocol and field deployment made possible through partnerships with Chesterfield Fire & EMS, MedFlightOne and Inova Blood Services. The program will keep two units of low‑titer O‑positive whole blood on a mobile resource with an exchange system to avoid waste.
Goochland County Fire Rescue announced a new field whole‑blood program on Oct. 9 that will equip mobile response units with low‑titer O‑positive whole blood for prehospital transfusion of patients in hemorrhagic shock.
Deputy Chief Mike Watkins and Chief Eddie Ferguson described the protocol and logistics: the county will carry two units on a mobile resource (the shift commander vehicle), keep the blood in a monitored cooler with telemetry and follow an exchange program with MedFlightOne and Inova so unused units are returned and used in hospitals. The program is the result of medical direction review and regional partnerships; Goochland’s medical director and assistant medical director supported the clinical protocol.
Why it matters: For major hemorrhage—severe bleeding—rapid transfusion of whole blood in the field can be lifesaving by restoring oxygen-carrying capacity and avoiding the lethal combination of blood loss, hypothermia and coagulopathy. Officials said the capability has already been used successfully in the region and that having units immediately available locally can reduce preventable deaths in remote or prolonged-transport incidents.
Operational details: The county will carry low‑titer O‑positive whole blood, limit deployment to patients meeting specific field criteria under medical direction, and document consent whenever practical. Two units are assigned to a mobile resource with processes to maintain the blood at required temperatures; the county emphasized that the program was implemented within existing departmental funding and capital planning resources.
Board response: Supervisors thanked fire rescue personnel and asked questions about deployment, storage, mutual aid and community blood drives. Chief Ferguson said the program was an incremental step that can be expanded based on call volume and need.
