Until Help Arrives

When Seconds Count

No one understands urgency like emergency physicians. We know the first few minutes after an emergency are critical for survival, and emergency service professionals aren’t always the first ones on the scene. That’s why ACEP has created Until Help Arrives, a one-hour training course designed to help ACEP members teach basic life-saving skills to their community.

Confidence Through Preparation

According to a national poll conducted by ACEP, the average civilian isn’t prepared to be a first responder in the aftermath of a storm, car crash, active shooter or other crisis. As an EM physician, leading this course is an opportunity to make a positive impact in your community by sharing your expertise. With your help, civilians can take this one-hour training course and feel more empowered to be the help until help arrives.

A condensed version of FEMA’s You’re the Help Until Help Arrives campaign, our course puts an emphasis on bleeding control, scene safety and compressions-only CPR.

Until Help Arrives is:

a one-hour session for ACEP members to deliver training in their local communities
a basic preparedness course not designed to credential citizens, although we offer resources for those who wish to continue with more in-depth training
ideal for small groups (civic, religious, business and school groups)
supported by an ACEP-designed instructional kit and bleeding control packs

ACEP members have access to the course curriculum, which was developed for emergency physicians, by emergency physicians. As a course leader, you'll teach participants how to:

Access the 911 system and communicate scene details effectively
Assess the safety of an emergency scene
Control severe bleeding until emergency personnel arrives
Recognize signs of SCA
Perform compressions-only CPR

BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR

ACEP members are eligible to be Until Help Arrives instructors. Additionally, anyone licensed in the following disciplines is welcome to apply to become an instructor: MD, DO, RN, NP, PA, DPM Paramedic, EMT, EMR/First Responder (or a student enrolled in any of these programs). Please fill out the form below and we'll send you the presentation so you can conduct the course in your community.

INSTRUCTOR INTEREST FORM

Civilians who are interested in participating or hosting an Until Help Arrives course can fill out this form, and we'll connect them with instructors in their area. We offer an instructor portal with resources to make it easy for you to market your course and measure its impact.

Once you lead a course in your community, we'd love to hear about it and share your pics on our social media channels. We'll continue to refine this program based on your feedback, so don't hesitate to share your thoughts with us at untilhelparrives@acep.org.

Emergency Kits

In addition to completing the Until Help Arrives course, an important part of emergency preparation is ensuring the right supplies are on hand to deal with a critical incident. Visit the Until Help Arrives shop to find the right bleeding control pack for your needs.

UHA Bleeding Control Citizen Packs include emergency supplies needed to help you control or stop bleeding, move a victim to safety and perform compressions-only CPR. This kit is designed to be stored in the trunk of a car for easy access during a crisis.
UHA Bleeding Control Multi-Victim Packs are ideal for community centers, businesses, churches and other groups who want to be prepared for potential emergencies.
UHA Bleeding Control Instructor Packs include the supplies recommended to host the training session, including a leg trainer, tourniquets, pressure dressings and more.

Program Background

The Stop the Bleed campaign was initiated by the White House National Security Council in collaboration with a workgroup of federal agencies, private and non-profit partner organizations, and individual citizens. ACEP has been a proud partner from the beginning in this vital campaign to build national resilience by better preparing the public to help save lives through basic actions to stop life-threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies or disaster events.

You’re the Help Until Help Arrives was a part of the Ready campaign, a national public service campaign launched by federal partners including FEMA, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Department of Transportation, and the Uniformed Services University of the Medical Sciences in the Department of Defense in February 2003. It was designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.

ACEP used the course to build the foundation of Until Help Arrives, tailoring the course content to be delivered by emergency personnel and adding instruction for compressions-only CPR.