Ten wall-mounted ‘bleed control kits’, containing first aid supplies which could save a life, are being installed at key locations around Bournemouth Town Centre.
Funded by Bournemouth Town Centre BID, the cabinets contain medical equipment such as tourniquets and haemostatic dressings which can be used to pack and control severely bleeding wounds.
The strategic locations chosen include Bournemouth Library, BH2, Obscura Café, Grosvenor Casino, Westover Road, Old Christchurch Road and Holdenhurst Road.
Costing £7,500, the new bleed kits are in addition to the existing defibrillator units in the town centre, sitting alongside them in many locations.
Martin Davies, Bournemouth Town Centre BID Chair, said: “Bleed kits have been installed in a number of towns and city centres across the UK providing potentially life-saving resources should the need arise.
“Adopting this proactive measure underscores our commitment to safety and well-being in Bournemouth town centre.”
On average, it only takes only around four minutes to lose a critical amount of blood after a serious injury.
In the event of an emergency, a bleed kit trained individual, for example a police officer, could provide the necessary first aid to reduce blood loss until paramedics arrive, potentially saving the life of someone with a serious injury, such as an injury sustained in a road traffic accident or assault.
Paul Kinvig, Bournemouth Town Centre BID Chief Operating Officer, said: “The locations have been chosen so that, wherever you are in Bournemouth Town Centre BID area, there will be one nearby, and we are sincerely grateful to the landlords and businesses who have supported installations on their premises.”
The first of the wall mounted bleed kit cabinets have already been installed with the rest due to go up before the end of this month.
They will be now a permanent fixture in the town centre in key spots including areas of high footfall.
In the event of an emergency, members of the public should always call 999 and be guided through how to help by a call handler.