Lives are set to be saved across North Yorkshire following the installation of specialist bleed control kits in towns and villages throughout the county.
The bleed kits provide communities with immediate access to vital first aid equipment designed to control catastrophic bleeding before the arrival of emergency services. They are intended for use in critical situations where rapid action can make the difference between life and death.
The countywide scheme is being led by North Yorkshire Council’s Community Safety Hubs in partnership with North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
A total of 45 Daniel Baird Foundation #ControlTheBleed kits, along with secure cabinets to house them, are being installed thanks to nearly £20,000 of funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Community Safety Serious Violence and Community Funds.
The Daniel Baird Foundation was established after Daniel Baird was fatally stabbed while on a night out in Birmingham in 2017. The charity works to raise awareness of the importance of publicly accessible bleed control packs and partners with local authorities, community groups and businesses to place kits in as many locations as possible.
The potentially lifesaving equipment, supplied by Turtle Medical, is being installed in Harrogate, Skipton, Selby, Richmond, Leyburn, Colburn, Thirsk, Bedale, Northallerton, Stokesley, Malton, Norton, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside, Helmsley, Scarborough, Filey and Whitby.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Councillor Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include community safety, said the kits would play a crucial role, particularly in rural areas.
She said: “Bleed kits are a simple but powerful way to protect our communities. While they are important in urban areas, in rural parts of North Yorkshire, where emergency response times can be longer, having these kits available can quite literally save lives.
“They give local people the tools to act quickly and confidently in a crisis, strengthening our community’s resilience and offering real peace of mind.”
Daniel Baird’s mother, Dr Lynne Baird MBE, welcomed the rollout across North Yorkshire, praising the partnership approach.
She said: “This is another wonderful example of organisations coming together to do more for community safety and resilience. I’m delighted many more people across North Yorkshire will be able to access the emergency bleed control kits from public cabinets should they be faced with a catastrophic bleeding injury.”
York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime, Jo Coles, said having specialist equipment already available could be lifesaving, particularly in rural communities.
All installed kits have been added to a new national register, the Bleed Map, which launched this month. Residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the locations of their nearest kits, while always remembering to call 999 in an emergency.
Full details of bleed kit locations can be found at bleedmap.uk.
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