NCSSD Announces Partnership With The First Minute Project
NCSSD has partnered with The First Minute Project to support bleeding-control training, access to lifesaving medical supplies, and emergency preparedness in schools.
The National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD), a professional community for school safety and security leaders, has announced a new nonprofit partnership with The First Minute Project, a Colorado-based organization dedicated to helping schools prepare for medical emergencies through bleeding-control training, lifesaving supplies, and emergency preparedness education.
The First Minute Project grew out of years of school safety advocacy by Colorado parent Chris Harrington, a firefighter with more than 20 years of experience. Following the September 2025 shooting at Evergreen High School, Harrington joined forces with fellow parent Jeremy Garst, a Marine Corps combat veteran with emergency medical training, to help schools better prepare for the critical first minutes of a medical emergency.
The organization's board also includes John Castillo, whose son, Kendrick Castillo, was killed in the 2019 STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting while attempting to protect his classmates. Castillo serves as director of school safety advocacy and community outreach.
One of the organization's early initiatives helped provide bleeding-control training to more than 60 school staff members and raised funding to equip all 34 classrooms at Conifer High School, which serves approximately 900 students, with emergency medical supplies. The organization hopes to expand these efforts to schools across the country.
Through the partnership, NCSSD and The First Minute Project aim to raise awareness of bleeding-control preparedness, share educational resources, and help school safety leaders strengthen emergency medical response.
The organizations have already collaborated on a Q&A examining the role of bleeding-control training in school emergency planning, including considerations for training, equipment, and implementation.
Read: Q&A: Bleeding-Control Training and School Emergency Planning
Learn more about The First Minute Project and its work to strengthen school emergency preparedness.
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