With knife crime increasing more than ever, “zero responder” scheme has been set up hosting it’s workshop at TyTek Medical

Whilst gun violence is at its highest in the U.S. than ever before, here in the U.K. a rise in knife crime has sparked necessary conversation of change. In particular, where our U.K. office is based in Wolverhampton has seen a rise in violence resulting in fatalities including youngsters. Back in May, 15-year-old Zane Smart was tragically stabbed to death and the following month saw another fatal stabbing including 16-year-old Ronan Kanda. Communities are now desperately looking at ways of support, such as educating youngsters on the dangers of carrying knives, as well as public access to bleeding control. 

In the wake of such events, a “zero responders” scheme has been set up, which is a term relating to members of the public who are on the scene when a medical emergency occurs. The scheme involves three organizations, Yes 2 Life, from Birmingham, the American Choose Love Foundation, and TyTek Medical who are working together. Majid Khan, from Yes 2 Life, said: “We have delivered our Zero Responders scheme in other areas blighted by violence and were looking for a new area in the UK. We have researched the statistics and the communities which need help and have chosen Wolverhampton because of the recent rise in fatal stabbings, shootings and other violence.” - Express and Star

As well as this, bleed control stations are being installed in violence hotspots in aid to equip zero responders, as it is better to be prepared to save lives. The increase of violent stabbings caught the attention of these organizations as well as us, as our main priority is to educate, equip and empower all when it comes to all things medical. 

Tytek Medical director Matt Eccles said: "There is a stark disconnect between knowing the risks and being able to mitigate them. It has never been more important to be educated, equipped and empowered to treat a catastrophic bleed and save lives. We are trying to make training readily available and for organizations to invest in making life-saving equipment easy to access." - Express and Star

We are hosting a workshop alongside Yes2Life and American Choose Love Foundation at our Wolverhampton Science Park home, on how to control a catastrophic bleed. This event will be for zero responders to learn more on how to save a life in case a traumatic bleed occurs. As zero responders are always the first on the scene, even before a first responder such as a paramedic, this time is vital to act to prevent fatalities. The importance of having basic first aid knowledge should never be underestimated. 

A recent event occurred in the U.S. where author Salman Rushdie was attacked on stage and stabbed multiple times. Before first responders arrived, members of the audience rushed on stage to help him and without this, lives could have been lost. 

Around 40% of trauma-related deaths worldwide are due to bleeding or its consequences, which means hemorrhage is the most common cause of preventable death in trauma. It takes just two to five minutes for someone to bleed out. Therefore, if a bystander at the scene is educated, equipped and empowered, they will have more chances to save that person’s life. We can be the bystanders who fill that crucial gap before emergency services arrive.

To support the Stop The Bleed mission, TyTek Medical are proud to supply a range of time critical emergency medical supplies, they were engineered for the battlefield but civilians are receiving military style injuries as a result of deliberate attacks. Having the proper equipment at hand, along with proper training and awareness, makes a big difference in allowing anyone to be ready to help someone in an emergency bleeding situation.

If you’re interested in attending the workshop or any future events, please visit our eventbrite to find out more and follow us on our socials to stay up to date!