FEARS over a rise in knife crime have led to life-saving equipment being installed in Halstead High Street for medical emergencies.
Halstead Town Council has installed put a new emergency bleed control kit by the defibrillator outside 38 High Street.
The Halstead Gazette reported that the council had plans to install the equipment, following a “rise in knife incidents”, in a council meeting in April.
Council papers said it “might be responsible to consider buying a bleed kit for the High Street”.
Important - the installed kit (Image: Halstead Council)
It said the bleed control kit can “handle the most testing of incidents”.
A town council spokesman said: “Sadly, the news in 2024 is too often about stabbings, generally of one young person by another.
“The result of these impulsive attacks is too often a needless and unintentional death.
“Stab wounds are often fatal if there is no equipment which can be used immediately to staunch the bleeding.”
Helpful - the bleed kit next to the defibrillator unit in Halstead's High Street (Image: Halstead Council)
The council bought the bleed kit from the Daniel Baird Foundation, a charity set up after the 26-year-old was fatally stabbed in July 2017 after a night out with friends in Birmingham.
There were no bleed kits available, and Daniel died shortly after arriving at hospital.
The charity aims to raise awareness of the importance of having publicly accessible bleed control packs available and works closely with communities to have them installed in as many venues as possible.
The council spokesman said: “Halstead Town Council decided to invest in a bleed kit and wants to make the residents aware of this.
“The bleed kit is fixed to the outside of the Saffron Walden Building Society on the High Street, for anyone to use.
“If you need to get into the bleed kit cabinet, you need to phone 999 and tell them your location. You will then be instructed on how to use it.”
The emergency bleed control kit is looked after by the town’s street warden, which was funded by the Safer Streets Fund initiative.
If the kit is used, the council will be informed so it can replace it.
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