Fourteen new bleed kits installed at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

Fourteen fire stations across Essex will now be equipped with public access bleed prevention kits that will help firefighters, and the public, give injured people better emergency care. 

The bleed kits will be installed at the following fire stations: Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Canvey Island, Chelmsford, Colchester, Waltham Abbey, Harlow, Maldon, Rayleigh, Southend, Clacton, Grays and Stansted. 

The bleed kits – containing a trauma dressing, a chest seal, a pack bandage, a tourniquet, gloves, scissors, a foil blanket, and a mouthguard for giving CPR – give firefighters and staff the tools they need to treat injuries and prevent people from entering hypovolemic shock or even dying from blood loss. 

In an emergency, the public will be able to access the bleed kits by simply calling 999 and the Control Room Operators will be able to advise on how to access the kit. 

Two of the bleed kits have been funded by Julie Taylor. Julie is a campaigner whose grandson, Liam Taylor, was tragically killed in Writtle in 2020. Julie set-up The Liam Taylor Legacy in his memory. The bleed kit in Chelmsford was funded by four-year old, Olivia Carey, who ran 10k to raise money for the kit and the bleed kit in Southend was funded by Daniel Johnson who ran the London Marathon to raise money for the kit. 

The VVU welcomes the additional bleed kits in the county and the way they have been distributed around the county. We thank all those who fundraised and donated money to make this possible.