FRISCO, CO (Jan. 6, 2026) - Summit Fire & EMS and Red, White & Blue Fire Rescue first-response crews have joined the vanguard of medical care in the field by carrying units of whole blood that can be administered to save lives and improve the return to health for trauma patients before they ever reach the hospital.
In conjunction with CommonSpirit St. Anthony Summit Hospital and funded by a grant from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Summit County’s two EMS providers will be able to provide blood transfusions to patients suffering from severe bleeding, instead of relying solely on IV fluids such as saline, which is statistically less effective for stabilizing patients in shock.
Summit County’s emergency responders join only 1.3% of EMS organizations in the country carrying whole blood in the field, a tactic developed by the U.S. military to treat severe war wounds.
Whole blood transfusions have been associated with as much as a 50% reduction in deaths for patients experiencing shock from traumatic injuries. Through this grant, the Summit County EMS team is joining a network of emergency medical providers along the Interstate 70 corridor in the mountains providing whole blood, including Highlands Rescue Team, Clear Creek EMS and coordinated by Foothills Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Council (Foothills RETAC) and the Colorado Whole Blood Coalition.
“Our incident statistics indicate that we may be warranted in administering whole-blood transfusions numerous times each year, giving patients not only a better chance to live but also a shorter stay in the hospital by minimizing the effects of their traumatic injuries,” said Summit Fire & EMS Division Chief Lou Laurina.
Because whole blood must be stored under very exact temperature standards and has a limited shelf life, EMS supervisors at both departments will be responsible for keeping the supply in specially designed, continual coolers in their vehicles. And if it has not been used within two weeks, the blood will be swapped out at designated hospitals, which are likely to need it in the operating rooms before it reaches its overall 35-day expiration date.
Over the past several months, medics with both Summit Fire & EMS and Red, White & Blue Fire Rescue have been training on when to consider administering whole blood based on indicators and symptoms such as blood pressure, obvious trauma and signs of internal bleeding – and when to rule it out. Patients may decline blood transfusions on religious or other grounds.
The Summit County first responders are joining the cutting edge of field emergency medicine with the new whole-blood program, a program offered by about 300 ground-based EMS services nationwide.
"In a rural, high-altitude community like ours, time matters," said St. Anthony Summit Hospital President Trixie VanderSchaaff. "Having whole blood available to our local medical crews allows life-saving care to begin immediately, giving patients a better chance at survival before they ever reach the hospital."
The blood used is O-positive, which most people can accept, and while there can be complications for patients needing rarer negative blood type, those are not considered insurmountable, and the benefit far outweighs the risks. It is being supplied by South Texas Blood and Tissue under the “Heroes in Arms” program, and when a unit of whole blood is used, the emergency responders can receive a replenishment in 24 hours.
“The capability of administering whole blood on scene of a vehicle crash or other traumatic injury really puts us at the forefront of advanced medical care in the field,” said Red, White & Blue EMS Division Chief Jim Levi. “We will save lives because of this new treatment option.”
For more information about the program, visit the Colorado Whole Blood Coalition at www.coloradowholeblood.org.
Inspired by faith. Driven by innovation. Powered by humankindness. CommonSpirit Health is building a healthier future for all through its integrated health services. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, CommonSpirit Health delivers more than 20 million patient encounters annually through more than 2,300 clinics, care sites and 137 hospital-based locations, in addition to its home-based services and virtual care offerings. CommonSpirit has more than 155,000 employees, 45,000 nurses and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice providers across 24 states and contributes more than $4 billion annually in charity care, community benefits and unreimbursed government programs. Together with our patients, physicians, partners, and communities, we are creating a more just, equitable, and innovative healthcare delivery system. Learn more at commonspirit.org.
