As part of our ongoing mission at Nubian Directions, we welcomed twenty-one of our Poughkeepsie youth and five staff members to take part in an emergency response training last Thursday. Many of these young people come from the more challenging areas on the city's north side, which makes this initiative even more significant.

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For almost three decades, we, at Nubian Directions II, located on Main Street, Poughkeepsie, have been committed to offering educational programs, skills training, workforce development, and youth employment opportunities for urban youth. Our YouthBuild Program Director, Mario Johnson, was delighted to report that our young participants were eager to get involved in the "Stop the Bleed" training. This course, delivered by the Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County, included important advice from a Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office deputy on how to handle violent situations, particularly active shooter scenarios.

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This training contributes to the AmeriCorps community hours for our participating youth. We feel it's critical, especially given the rise in teen violence across the country. Our young participants are already well-prepared. They've completed first aid/CPR certification through our training programs and have also achieved OSHA 30 certification, which covers workplace safety, hazard identification, and incident management.
This training equips our youth to respond swiftly and effectively if a shooting occurs in our community. We're proud to say that our young members will be visible and present at numerous community events starting on July 4th, a day that unfortunately often sees an increase in gun violence.

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We've given them distinctive red backpacks filled with vital supplies like Narcan, bandages, gauze, Quick-Clot hemostatic gauze, and other safety items. City Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers generously provided a $2,500 allocation from the American Rescue Plan funds for the training and supplies.

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While we realize that we can't stop bullets, we're confident that we're equipping our youth to "stop the bleed." We hope that the presence of these junior paramedics in our community will not only act as a deterrent to potential violence but also foster a sense of responsibility, engagement, and community cohesion among our youth.

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While this is only one piece of the puzzle in addressing the root causes of gun violence, we believe it's a crucial step toward enhancing community safety and resilience.