27 Apr 2025
Special kits designed to tackle extreme bleeding likely to cause death within minutes have been installed in St Albans city centre.
Three bleed control kits have been donated by local charity Hearts for Herts and installed in community defibrillator cabinets thanks to a partnership with St Albans City Centre BID (Business Improvement District).
They can be found outside Barclays Bank in St Peter’s Street, Christopher Place and The Maltings.
They contain a tourniquet to restrict blood flow, haemostatic gauze that helps stop bleeding rapidly, a trauma dressing, gloves, and a chest seal.
The location of each bleed control kit is registered with the East of England Ambulance Service control staff, who can quickly direct a 999 caller to the nearest kit by phone and give them the code. This helps any member of the public or staff give vital treatment before paramedics arrive.
Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire cut the ribbon on the cabinet housing the first kit at Barclays.
Hearts for Herts chair Justin Honey-Jones who is also a paramedic said: “We are delighted to collaborate with St Albans City Centre BID by adding the kits into the existing secure locked cabinets at Barclays Bank, Christopher Place and The Maltings, which already contain an automatic community access defibrillator. We have fundraised for 350 kits to date and are rolling these out across Hertfordshire along with 120 public access defibrillators.”
BID manager Vivien Cannon added” “Justin contacted us after reading about the community defibrillators being installed and it makes absolute sense to work together to build resilience in our community and increase survival rates whilst witing for emergency help to arrive.”
Justin will now be arranging dates to deliver the Hearts for Herts charity’s free training: Heartstart Lifesaver Programme.
