Cook County Sheriff’s SWAT medics teach kids life-saving skills at summer camp

Kids learn to save lives thanks to Cook County Sheriff's Office

The Cook County Sheriff?s Office is holding a unique class during summer camp getting hands-on training from SWAT medics.

CHICAGO - The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is holding a unique class during summer camp to get hands-on training from SWAT medics. 

What we know:

More than two dozen campers from the south suburbs learned from some of the county’s best SWAT team medics trained in combat-style trauma care on Thursday.

Since 2014, the Cook County Sheriff's Department has made it a mission to teach children, ages 4 to 13, from Ford Heights, Harvey, Markham, and Robbins how to stop someone from bleeding out and dying.

The training is part of the national "Stop the Bleed" initiative that started after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. The goal of the program is to empower civilians, even younger ones, to be immediate responders.

For these kids, it’s one unforgettable lesson: even small hands can make a big difference.

What they're saying:

"It feels good to know that I can help somebody out if they're bleeding or not," said student Chance Hamilton. "Because I wouldn't want to see anybody hurt, or to see anybody die or anything."

"We got kids from like four to 13 in this room, and we're just trying to build relationships so that we as law enforcement are approachable," said Cook County Sheriff Deputy Chief Marlon Parks. "You know, they can come to us and talk to us and meet and greet us, and we can talk to them just like they are our nieces and nephews or sons of ours."

What's next:

The camp runs all summer long and includes more than just emergency training. Field trips, games, and life lessons are all part of the experience.

The American College of Surgeons' Stop the Bleeding program has prepared nearly 4 million people worldwide.