Residents in one of the city’s most violence-plagued communities were given lessons Tuesday on how to stop victims from bleeding out on the street in a first-of-its kind program.

The training occurred the day after an NYPD cop was shot in the face by a crazed gunman on a sidewalk in the neighborhood, Brownsville, in Brooklyn. The officer survived.

The FDNY hosted the “Control the Bleed” training program at the NYCHA Van Dyke Community Center in Brownsville – a notoriously gun-plagued area that recently started a “police-free-zone” pilot project.

Brownsville residents were treated to a first-of-its-kind program on how to stop victims from bleeding out on the streets. Paul Martinka

More than 40 trainees, mostly hailing from the anti-gun initiative Brownsville In Violence Out, lined up to practice applying pressure on wounds to stop gushing blood.

“’Control the Bleed’ is a training program that is meant to offer regular New Yorkers the skills to help them help their neighbors in an emergency,” FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said at the event.

“Rather than just standing around when you see someone in need, by teaching life saving skills, we’re ensuring that everyday citizens can respond with confidence when faced with life threatening, bleeding,” Tucker said.

“This is critical, and it reflects our mission of protecting lives by equipping communities with tools to act before help arises.”

The training comes after the department obtained the necessary funding, particularly from the FDNY Foundation and the Public Health Service, to get the program launched, Tucker said.

The training occurred a day after an NYPD cop was shot in the face by a crazed gunman in Brownsville. Paul Martinka

The kickoff took place as the NYPD’s 73rd precinct, which represents Brownsville and Ocean Hill, reported more than a 40% drop in both shooting victims and incidents compared to this time last year, according to police data.

But neighborhood advocates agree that 2025’s 25 shootings – and 30 victims – are still too many.

“Unfortunately, in our community, gun violence is the critical violence that takes place,” said Dushoun Almond, the program director of BIVO. 

“You could imagine how many lives could have been saved if their friend or somebody in the community knew how to stop the bleeding, how to match that wound up so they won’t bleed out,” Almond, 50, said.

The FDNY’s “Control the Bleed” training program was held at the NYCHA Van Dyke Community Center. Paul Martinka

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Other community organizations can apply to participate to the program, just as they can to one of the thousands of similar CPR trainings FDNY hosts each year – and the FDNY hopes the Control the Bleed program will see just as large of a turnout, a Fire Department rep said.

“Our training today is just the beginning: We know the people who participate in this program will talk about it to their friends and to their family and spread the knowledge and readiness throughout the community,” Tucker said.

“Together, we aim to build a safer, stronger New York City, one where every resident has the power to save a life.”