Havering Council has delivered life-saving bleed kits to secondary schools across the borough that will help keep pupils and residents safer.
The equipment can be used in the event of an emergency where there is a need to seal a wound while waiting for further emergency help to arrive.
The Council will also be delivering kits into other areas as part of its roll-out in supporting community safety. This includes night-time venues and licensees, where night-marshals and other enforcement staff will be trained to use them.
They will also be rolled-out to community centres and leisure centres in due course.
Training is given by police officers to staff at venues, but the kits can be used by members of the public with guidance from an emergency service.
The kits can be used in the event of a stab wound, wounds associated with a road accidents and any other injury that is classed as traumatic.
The Council is also working alongside Sue Hedges, on behalf of the Ricky Hayden Memorial charity, who donated a bleed kit to the new Rainham Leisure Centre recently. Sue lost her son Ricky when he was fatally stabbed in 2016.
Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said:
“These kits could potentially save the life of someone while you are waiting to get further treatment from emergency services.
“It was a bleed kit that helped to treat a student with a knife wound outside New City College in February this year.
“While training is needed, they can be used along with guidance over the phone from an emergency service and that could prove to be a difference between life and death in urgent situations.
“We hope that they are never needed, but I hope people feel safer knowing they are there in case of emergencies.”