BLOOD DONATION PROGRAM
Become a HerO+
If you have O+ blood, your donation can go directly into an ambulance and save someone’s life before they reach a hospital. This is not a typical blood drive. This is community members helping save neighbors.
What Is This Program?
Ambulances in northeast Colorado now carry whole blood. When someone is seriously injured and losing blood fast, paramedics can give them a transfusion right there, in the field, before they reach a hospital. This saves lives.
The blood used in ambulances is called Low Titer O+ Whole Blood (LTOWB). O+ is the most common blood type. It is safe to give to most patients in an emergency, which makes it ideal for use in the field when there is no time to check a patient’s blood type.
The blood that goes into these ambulances comes from donors in our community: people like you. The Garth Englund Blood Centers work with Thompson Valley EMS and UCHealth EMS to collect and supply whole blood specifically for prehospital use.
Who Can Donate
You must have O+ blood type. You must be in good general health. Standard blood donation eligibility applies. If you are not sure of your blood type, you can find out when you donate.
How Often
Whole blood donors can give every 56 days, about every 8 weeks. Regular donations help keep a steady supply in the vehicles that serve our region.
Where It Goes
Your donation goes to ambulances serving northeast Colorado. NCRETAC has funded whole blood capability for Thompson Valley EMS and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office vehicles. UCHealth EMS vehicles are also equipped.
Why It Matters
In the first half of 2025, nearly three dozen patients in our region received prehospital whole blood transfusions. These were people who were bleeding severely: in crashes, farm accidents, and other emergencies. Early blood saves lives that would otherwise be lost.
Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from injury. In rural areas where the nearest hospital may be 30 to 60 minutes away, having blood in the ambulance is the difference between surviving the trip and not making it.
How You Can Help
There are three simple things you can do.
1
Donate
Schedule a whole blood donation through the UCHealth Blood Donation portal. Plan to donate every 56 days to help keep a steady supply in regional ambulances.
2
Respond quickly
If you receive a message asking for urgent donations, try to schedule an appointment right away. Supply needs can change quickly based on usage and shelf life.
3
Spread the word
Tell friends, family, and coworkers who have O+ blood about this program. The more donors we have, the more lives we can save in our region.
About This Initiative
The HerO+ program is a partnership between the Garth Englund Blood Centers, Thompson Valley EMS, and UCHealth EMS. NCRETAC coordinates and funds whole blood capability across the region as part of its commitment to advancing prehospital trauma care in northeast Colorado.
NCRETAC has funded four whole blood-equipped vehicles for Thompson Valley EMS and two for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The UCHealth Foundation has supported two additional vehicles for UCHealth EMS. This has rapidly expanded access to lifesaving blood products across the region.
The Program in Action
Whole blood in ambulances is real, regional, and already saving lives in northeast Colorado.
Schedule Your Donation
Donate through the UCHealth Blood Donation portal to schedule your whole blood appointment. When you sign up, you can indicate that your donation is for the Community HerO+ prehospital program.
UCHealth Blood Donation
Schedule your appointment, learn about eligibility, and find donation locations near you.
HerO+ Donation Locations
Fort Collins
UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center
1025 Pennock Pl., Ste. 104
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 495-8965
Greeley
UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center
6906 W. 10th St.
Greeley, CO 80634
(970) 392-6990
Loveland
UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center
2500 Rocky Mountain Ave.
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 624-1510
Your donation could be the difference between life and death for someone in our community. Together, we can make sure that when someone in northeast Colorado needs blood, it is already in the ambulance on the way to them.
Questions about the program: [email protected] | (970) 580-2668
Related: Community | Stop The Bleed | Clinical Standards | Data & Reports