When a medical emergency occurs somewhere in Salt Lake County, it can take 45 to 60 minutes for medical services to reach a victim in need of blood. That’s way too long to risk a victim bleeding out or going into an irreversible shock due to blood loss.

Now, there’s a new hope as the West Valley Fire Department has become the first Utah city with the ability to provide blood to someone who needs it. In partnership with Intermountain Health, the department now has a pre-hospital whole blood program to help in the field.

“We’re hoping this will lower the response time for those who need blood transfusions,” said Brandon Howard, the WVFD Battalion Chief Medical Division. There are about 200 agencies in the nation with similar programs, but West Valley City is the first in Utah. And Dr. Peter Taillic, the medical director for the fire department, said, “With this program we are trying to reach forward in the timeframe of a patient’s hemorrhagic shock and provide them a life-saving transfusion.”

Trauma ranks as the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to Intermountain Health. Uncontrolled bleeding is responsible for more than 30% of trauma-related deaths, and nationally, only 1% of emergency medical service agencies carry blood products. 

Intermountain Health said that every minute of delay in accessing blood increases mortality by 2%. Through this program, paramedic supervisors can provide whole blood directly at the scene of an accident or while the victim is being transported to a hospital. The whole blood products will be provided by Intermountain Health to the WCFD EMS teams no matter which hospital patients are transported to by crews.

Whole blood is superior to normal IV fluids because it provides a balanced transfusion by replacing all components lost, ensuring a comprehensive approach to patient care. It simplifies the administration by requiring just one product, helps double survival rates for those in hemorrhagic shock, and helps patients require fewer transfusions, according to Intermountain Health.

Under this new program, the battalion chief on duty is required to carry a special cooler stocked with enough O-positive blood for one person at all times. That type is considered universal for most patients and is usable in about 90% of cases, Howard told city council in an October meeting. 

The program is now up and running in West Valley City.