The First Minutes Save Lives!

Equipping schools with the knowledge and supplies needed to respond during the critical first minutes of a LockDown.

Empowering Teachers, Staff & Students to Respond During a Life-Threatening Emergency.

A shield-shaped emblem with a human figure reaching toward a heart and cross symbol, in navy blue and red colors.

What sets The First Minute Project apart is simple: our mission is not about selling products or making a profit. Our program is designed to provide participating schools and districts with FREE training for every school staff member and to equip every classroom with lifesaving emergency supplies. There are no sales pitches, no hidden agendas, and no strings attached.

We simply believe that every child and school employee deserves the opportunity to be prepared during the critical first minutes of an emergency, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help make that possible.


A poster about uncontrolled hemorrhage stating it is the leading cause of death in traumatic injuries. Features a blood drop with a medical cross and exclamation mark, emphasizing quick action to control bleeding to save lives.
Graphic showing that 96% of U.S. public schools have written active-shooter response plans, with icons of a school, clipboard with shield and check mark, and medical supplies.
Statistics showing that 30 to 40 percent of trauma-related deaths are caused by hemorrhage, with a warning icon and a blood drop graphic. Text highlights the importance of controlling bleeding to prevent death.
Graphic showing that over 4.1 million students experienced a real school lockdown in a single year, highlighting that millions of students have already experienced real emergency lockdowns, not drills.
Infographic stating that 1 in 4 hemorrhage-related trauma deaths may be preventable with timely intervention. Includes icons of four people, with one in red featuring a medical cross. Text emphasizes rapid access to bleeding control resources and trained responders to save lives.
A graphic with a stopwatch showing 7 to 9 minutes, a medical kit with a red cross, and text highlighting that EMS reaches victims in a lockdown event within 7 to 9 minutes on average, but can take up to several hours. The text warns that severe bleeding can be fatal within minutes and that only people inside classrooms may provide lifesaving care.
Infographic indicating that 74.3% of hemorrhage-related deaths occur before patients spend one hour in the hospital, emphasizing the importance of early bleeding control. Includes icons of a stopwatch, ambulance, and hospital.

A Statewide Network of Professional Trainers

Map of Colorado illustrating a trainer network with icons of trainers and buildings connected by dotted lines, centered around a ColoradoTrainerNetwork logo with mountains and a red cross.

Professional Training

The First Minute Project partners with hospitals and EMS agencies across Colorado to ensure our training is delivered by highly qualified, experienced professionals.

Whether you’re a rural district or an urban campus, our statewide network of instructors makes it possible to provide high-quality training to every staff member and participating student, close to home. Training sessions can typically be completed in about one hour, even when training dozens of participants at a time.

âś” Certified instructors

âś” Flexible scheduling

âś” Scalable for entire districts

âś” Training provided at no cost


Graphic of first aid supplies including a backpack, a medicine packet with a red cross, a pair of scissors, a pen, and a rolled-up bandage, arranged in a semi-circle with a red and blue curved line underneath.

Funding Made Easy

Affordable Supplies

Every student and educator deserves immediate access to lifesaving bleeding-control equipment during a lockdown emergency.

Our funding model makes it possible for individual schools and entire districts to equip every classroom with the essential supplies needed to control life-threatening bleeding.

Each bleeding-control kit is customized to meet a school's unique needs while keeping costs affordable and maximizing every dollar invested.


Instructor teaching a class on bleeding control with a bleeding control kit displayed on the wall.

Every Classroom Equipped

Prepared Classrooms

During a lockdown, first responders cannot immediately reach every classroom. Depending on the circumstances, it can take several minutes up to several hours before EMS can reach a victim in lockdown.

The First Minute Project ensures all trained staff have immediate access to lifesaving equipment where it matters most—inside the classroom.

Because when every minute matters, having the training and supplies readily available will save lives!


Illustration of hands surrounding a family, a house with a clock, and a red heart, with a heart-shaped frame and a shield with a cross at the bottom, and the word 'NON-PROFIT' underneath.

What Separates Us

Non-profit. Not Profit-Driven

The First Minute Project takes a different approach to school emergency preparedness. Our focus is not on selling products or promoting a specific system, it’s on making essential lifesaving equipment and training accessible in every classroom. We believe schools shouldn’t have to rely on expensive, one-size-fits-all solutions to be prepared for the first critical minutes of an emergency.

We are concerned parents, educators, and community members working to empower school staff and students.

Here is what people had to say about our bleeding control training…..

“I had no idea how easy it is to apply a tourniquet. I feel confident now using a tourniquet”

“The training was empowering!”

“The trainers were experienced, professional, and the training was quicker than expected!”

"I was concerned the training might be emotionally difficult for some staff, but everyone found it informative, engaging, and empowering. I am grateful knowing our school staff are now trained on how to respond to an emergency."

Training Beyond the Classroom

The First Minute Project does more than support schools. We also partner with municipalities, churches, colleges, businesses, and other organizations to bring bleeding control training and equipment to their facilities.

While our primary focus is creating safer learning environments for children, we recognize the importance of making these lifesaving programs accessible throughout the entire community.

Contact us to discuss your organization's needs, and let's work together to equip your people and your spaces with the training and resources needed to respond when every minute counts.

FAQ:

Learn How to Give

Make a ONE-TIME DONATION or become a MONTHLY SUPPORTERof The First Minute Project mission. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and directly helps provide schools with life-saving emergency medical supplies, training, and preparedness resources.

There are many ways to support our mission. Individuals and organizations can also becomePARTNER or SPONSOR by donating supplies, providing discounts on essential equipment, or supporting the project through corporate giving and sponsorships. Every contribution, large or small, helps us reach more schools and better prepare communities when every second counts.

Join our mission today and help create safer schools for generations to come.

Stay Connected

At The First Minute Project, we believe our supporters deserve to see the impact of their generosity. By subscribing to our monthly newsletter, you'll receive updates on the schools we're serving, lives we're helping protect, community partnerships, upcoming events, and ways you can make a difference.

Join our community and follow our mission as we work to ensure every school is prepared to save lives when every second counts.

Your privacy matters to us. We will only use your email to send updates from The First Minute Project. We will never sell or share your information.