08-05-2025
CSFD holds second blood drive of 2025
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) held its second blood drive of the year on Wednesday, May 7, at Fire Station 19.
CSFD said it often has people reach out and ask how they can help the department and what they can do for the community. CSFD said the blood drive is the perfect way to give back, as the amount of donors at their last drive equated to saving at least 100 lives.
In 2024, CSFD Medical Lieutenants, with the help of UCHealth and the UCHealth Memorial Foundation, became the first in the state to carry whole blood (Type O) in their rigs to give life-saving blood transfusions in the field before a patient gets to the hospital.
Whole blood is blood that has none of its components missing. Currently, first responders use IV fluids to treat patients en route to the hospital, but whole blood increases the chance of survival. Whole blood is safe to use for any blood type.
Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell
Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell
Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell
'If you look at this little logo down here, that's our whole blood logo,' said CSFD Public Information Officer Ashley Franco. 'So we became the first fire department in the state to carry whole blood on our apparatus, and basically what that does is we can give blood transfusions in the field before people get to the hospital.'
CSFD is holding quarterly blood drives at Station 19, 2490 Research Parkway, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the next two scheduled for Aug. 11 and Nov. 4.
According to CSFD, the whole blood program has achieved a 70% survival rate, which equates to about 57 lives saved.
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