Police officers teach life-saving bleed prevention techniques

Londoners can learn life-saving bleed prevention techniques in pop up tents set up across the City of London.

At the Stop the Bleed pop up tents, City of London Police officers will be on hand to teach members of the public how to potentially save a life from trauma injuries, such as knife wounds, using bleed control kits or everyday items, such as a tie or scarf.

Bleed control kits are similar to first aid kits, and contain a tourniquet, bandages and adhesive chest seals. These kits are crucial because they enable bystanders to provide essential medical aid before emergency services arrive.  

Police Constable David Jarvis, at the City of London Police and the pre-hospital trauma care instructor lead, said:

“Catastrophic bleeding from a trauma injury, such as a car accident, or the rare occurrence of a stabbing or shooting, can prove fatal in a matter of minutes. We want to show how lives can be saved by using everyday items, such as a tie or scarf, or by using the stop the bleed kits.”

Since 2019, City of London Police has installed more than 300 kits in pubs and bars across the City.

When a bleed is quickly controlled, these kits can prevent excessive blood loss, increase the chances of survival, and minimise long-term complications. Victims with catastrophic injuries can die within minutes, so early intervention is critical.  

Chief Inspector Rob Bell, City of London Police, said:

“Following the Borough Market terrorist attack in 2017, we train all of our frontline police officers on pre-hospital trauma care, which includes how to deal with major bleeds. We know the value of this training and why it is vital for our highly skilled officers to share this knowledge with people.

“From our experience of dealing with terrorist attacks, we know that members of the public may be asked by first responders to deliver life-saving interventions. People who have these skills can greatly help in those vital early minutes.”

The next pop-up event will take place on 10 September.