Kirsty Hawkins

Most of us have been to a concert, village fête, Christmas fair, sporting event or community gathering without giving security much thought. We arrive, find our friends, perhaps grab something to eat or drink and enjoy ourselves. Behind the scenes, somebody has usually thought about fire exits, first aid, toilets, parking, electrical safety and what happens if the weather turns against them. But there is another question that organisations and event organisers are increasingly being asked to...

Could public-access trauma bleed kits become the next familiar piece of lifesaving equipment in our communities? Most of us probably wouldn't think twice if we walked past a defibrillator cabinet these days. They are outside village halls, pubs, shops, sports clubs and community centres. Thankfully, public-access defibrillators have become a normal part of our communities. But recently another type of emergency kit has started appearing alongside them. The trauma bleed kit. I recently saw...

As I sit writing this, firefighters across the UK are once again battling large wildfires. Fields, woodland, heathland and nature reserves have all been affected. Some fires have destroyed hundreds of acres of land, threatened homes and businesses, and required huge numbers of emergency crews working around the clock in incredibly difficult conditions. Recent figures from the National Fire Chiefs Council show fire and rescue services in England and Wales have already attended hundreds of...