Emergency bleed kits
Bleed kits are located in public spaces and can be accessed to provide emergency first aid for someone who is suffering significant blood loss.
Avon and Somerset Bleed Kit Partnership is a joint initiative led by Avon and Somerset Police, HeartSafe UK, and NHS England South West to deliver potentially life-saving bleed kits to our communities.
Members of the public, business owners, councils or community groups can buy a bleed kit from Avon and Somerset Police for emergency use in their local area.
On average, it only takes around four minutes for someone to lose a critical amount of blood after experiencing a traumatic injury.
In those circumstances, bleed kits aim to control any bleed and preserve life until trained medical responders arrive on the scene.
They contain a simple set of instructions for any non-trained member of the public to follow under the guidance of a 999 call operator.
Immediate danger
If you witness an ongoing incident involving a knife or offensive weapon, call 999 immediately.
After calling 999, find your nearest bleed kit.
In the below video clip, Chief Inspector Mike Vass, Force Lead for Knife Crime, talks about bleed kits on BBC’s Crimewatch and the importance of using these to help save lives.
Purchase a bleed kit
You can buy a bleed kit from HeartSafe. All purchases benefit from the Avon and Somerset Bleed Kit Partnership legacy agreement.
Each bleed kit has a first-aid kid, which contains haemostatic dressings, trauma dressings, and a tourniquet to help stem the loss of blood in the critical first few minutes.
If you have a question or want more details, email communitybleedkit@avonandsomerset.police.uk