It’s a class advertised as “the New Face of De-Escalation,” but it was at a familiar stop on the evening of June 6 — the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company. For the second time in two years, former Lt. Ray Hassett (ret.) of the New Haven Police Dept. brought his three-hour course to first-responders in Killingworth.

With members of  the Killingworth Ambulance Association and Killingworth Fire Co. in attendance, Hassett preached the importance of patience, discourse, listening and, ultimately, understanding in responding to persons in crisis situations — an area of expertise for the former policeman.

Hassett teaches the art of hostage negotiations overseas for the U.S. State Dept.

“Where this training helps you to evolve,” he told listeners, “is to step back and say, ‘What am I looking at here?’ When you have that beginning connection, everything changes.”

Hassett had the same message when he appeared in front of Killingworth first-responders in early 2016, and it was so effective then that he was asked to return. With the help of the Killingworth Lions Club, the Ladies Auxiliary, the KWO and the Chamber of Commerce — each of which contributed $200 — Hassett was able to do that.

“I was a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” he said when talking about handling crisis communications, “and I learned more about them than anything else. You don’t talk as much, but you can be effective.”

The class originally was scheduled for mid-March but was postponed due to severe weather.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association would like to thank all those who participated in its May 19 drive for the Haddam-Killingworth Backpack Program. Donations were made at the town’s Transfer Station, where the KAA … and, later, the town itself … made collections.

Despite cold, damp weather, the KAA collected $230 in cash, three large bins of toiletry items and one large box of non-perishables.

The H-K Backpack Program weekly sends home food and non-perishable items to district children from families that are struggling and twice a year equips them with toiletry items and toothbrushes for self care. Because the KAA is a medical operation, it concentrated on collecting self-care items.

The Backpack Program is a nationwide initiative created by nurses in Arkansas who noticed that children coming to school on Monday complained of symptom associated with not having been fed properly over the weekend.  A program was devised to give them backpacks of food for the weekend, with the backpacks returned the following school day.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association’s “Stop the Bleed” classes are beginning to catch on with the community.

Nearly 60 persons attended the last four sessions, including 31 at the Killingworth Fire Department, as the KAA brings the nationally sponsored program to the attention of the town — which is appropriate. Because Killingworth was the first Connecticut community to have its residents certified in the “Stop the Bleed” program when 19 persons — most of whom were KAA board members or EMTs — completed a one-hour course in July, 2017.

Since then, the KAA has conducted several classes, with interest growing so much that two more classes were scheduled for June. However, the first — a June 5 course at Haddam-Killingworth High School — has been canceled due to the loss last week of a faculty member. A second class scheduled for June 7 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church is still on.

“Stop the Bleed” is a national campaign launched in 2015 by the White House and Department of Homeland Security to inform and instruct persons how to deal with emergency bleeding situations an to provide them with the tools to save lives.

Local classes have been led by a Yale-New Haven Health emergency medical technician who is also a member of the Killingworth Ambulance Association’s board of directors.

Three “Stop the Bleed” classes are scheduled for Killingworth this month, including two on the same day — Wednesday, May 9.

One is at 10 a.m. and the other at 11 a.m., with both held at the Emergency Operations Center (next to Town Hall on Route 81). A third class is scheduled for Thursday, May 17, at 4 p.m. in the Killingworth library.

All will be led by an emergency medical technician at Yale-New Haven Health, who is a member of the KAA board and has led previous classes in the community.

“Stop the Bleed” is a national campaign launched in 2015 by the White House and Department of Homeland Security to inform and instruct persons on how to deal with emergency bleeding situations and to provide them with the tools to save lives.

It is of particular relevance to Killingworth, as the town was the first in Connecticut to have its residents certified for the “Stop the Bleed” program. That happened July, 19, 2017 when 19 persons — most of whom were EMTs and KAA board members — completed a one-hour course.

There is still time to apply for the Killingworth Ambulance Association’s 2018 collegiate scholarship, with applications available to graduating seniors who are residents in Killingworth and enrolled in private or public high schools. Applicants must not only plan on attending a continuing-education institution (two or four years) but have been accepted to that school, too. They must also:

• major in the medical, emergency services (fire, police, etc.) or other allied fields
• have performed community service
• maintained at least a 3.0 GPA.

To print the application, click on this link: KILLINGWORTH AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP 2018.

The application must be postmarked no later than Friday, April 13, 2018 and sent to the Killingworth Ambulance Association Scholarship Committee, PO Box 749, Killingworth, CT 06419. Certificates of scholarship will be awarded in June. For more information, please contact the Killingworth Ambulance Association at 860-301-3564.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m., with a new board of directors scheduled to be elected. The meeting will be at the KAA’s headquarters at 335 Route 81, Killingworth.

March 31 is National “Stop the Bleed Day,” which is relevant to this area because Killingworth was the first town in Connecticut to have its residents certified for the “Stop the Bleed” program.

That happened last July when 19 persons — including EMTs and KAA board members — completed a one-hour course. Since then, the KAA has offered several classes — with two last month — led by an emergency medical physician at Yale-New Haven Health who also happens to be a KAA board member.

The nationwide campaign in March is to highlight the importance of “Stop the Bleed” training and to help those interested in finding a course in their areas.

Launched by the White House in 2015, the “Stop the Bleed” program is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in bleeding emergencies, such as the recent tragedies in Florida and Las Vegas.

The group leading the nationwide effort has asked the American College of Surgeons to solicit participation from all instructors to increase the number of locations offering the Bleeding Control Basics course. Furthermore, the college is encouraging all B-Con instructors to help make the life-saving course available in their regions on or around March 31.

The event information encourages the public to find a course in its area by logging on to bleedingcontrol.org and asks instructors to list their courses on the website so people can find them.

The Killingworth Ambulance Association will hold two “Stop the Bleed” classes in February at its headquarters at 335 Route 81 — with the first on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and the second on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Both begin at 7 p.m. Classes are free and open to all persons over the age of 12. The “Stop the Bleed” campaign, which was launched in 2015 by the White House and Department of Homeland Security, is designed to equip persons with the training to deal with emergency bleeding situations and the tools to save lives. For more information, contact the KAA at (860) 552-9798 or log on to killingworthambulance.org.