Port Aransas EMS makes history with blood transfusions in the field

As part of a statewide initiative, Port Aransas EMS can now deliver life-saving blood transfusions in the field, a first for the Coastal Bend.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Port Aransas EMS has become the first ground ambulance service in the Coastal Bend to carry whole blood, marking a major step forward in emergency care.

The agency is part of a statewide initiative to ensure whole blood is available in every Texas county. The addition means medics can now perform transfusions directly in the field before a patient ever reaches the hospital.

“When you have a bleeding trauma situation, every minute matters,” said Corey Survant, CEO of the Coastal Bend Blood Center. “By having blood on that ambulance, it’s going to help save lives.”

The program uses low-titer Type O whole blood, which can be safely transfused to most patients in critical need. The new equipment and training were made possible through a partnership with the Coastal Bend Blood Center and local donors.

“We’re just one step closer to being able to save your loved one,” said Port Aransas EMS Chief Daniel Johnson. “This is a big undertaking, but it’s worth every effort.”

Survant emphasized that community participation remains key.

“We can’t make this happen without our volunteer blood donors,” he said. “They’re the ones who truly make all of this possible.”

Local officials say Port Aransas is leading the way, and that more Coastal Bend counties could soon follow, expanding a program that gives first responders the tools to save lives when every second counts.

Port Aransas EMS makes history with blood transfusions in the field

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