WHOLE BLOOD ON THE ROAD

How Berkeley County EMS Built at Prehospital Blood Program

About

This webinar is for EMS professionals who are considering to implement a blood program.

In a 20-minute conversation with Training Chief Thomas Krakeel, we cover how Berkeley County EMS, South Carolina, put whole blood on the road and what it took to get there.

March-September 2026, their blood program has delivered 26 transfusions. In Thomas Krakeel’s assessment, at least five patients are alive today because they received whole blood before reaching the hospital.

During this session, you’ll explore:

• Why blood warming matters
• The partnership model that keeps costs down.
• The three criteria Thomas Krakeel uses to evaluate a portable blood warmer.
• How to justify a higher-cost solution to leadership and procurement
• Why your crews should have a say in choosing equipment
• The key performance indicators every whole blood program should track

About the speaker

Thomas Krakeel is Training Chief at Berkeley County EMS in South Carolina.

He serves as the agency’s primary instructor and oversees all continuing education for a service that responds to about 26,000 calls a year.

He began his EMS career in 2008 and rose to lieutenant and station-level supervisor at his previous service before joining Berkeley County in 2021.