A new initiative from the charity Rapaid aims to save lives by locating easy-tofind, simple-to-use bandages in public spaces, work environments and taxis. The kits enable bystanders, victims and first
responders on the scene of an emergency to stop blood loss.

Rapaid’s vision is ‘to make life-saving emergency bandages as commonplace and as accessible as fire extinguishers and defibrillators right across the UK. With your help we can make this happen’.

The idea for the kits first occurred to Alex Chivers, a former special forces soldier, while serving as a firearms officer with Wiltshire police. He started the charity Rapaid in 2019, putting the emergency kits into taxis in Manchester. Since then, the scheme has expanded to Oxford, Swindon and Exeter, and now London, after TfL approved the initiative. The scheme is also supported by the London Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) as cabbies are often approached by people on the street in emergency situations.

Emergency aid

The kits are used by the military and emergency services worldwide to treat life-threatening haemorrhaging. Each bag contains four emergency bandages, surgical gloves and a rigid instruction
card with clear, easy to understand pictures and instructions. There is also a green window sticker in each kit taxi drivers can display on their windscreen so emergency first responders, such as offduty medics or police officers, can see they are carrying the kits.

Alex Chivers says: ‘When it comes to serious blood loss, time really does save lives and the quicker direct pressure can be applied and treatment begins the better the chances of survival. The grim fact is you can bleed to death in under five minutes!

‘It made perfect sense for the drivers to carry the emergency kits as they are in and out of our community 24/7 and the bandages are quick and simple to use with no specialist training needed. Nobody is expecting the taxi drivers to become pseudo paramedics, but they are helping us all by just carrying the
bandage bags and displaying the window stickers, so the public and emergency services can flag them down and have immediate access.

“To date we’ve given out 500 bandage bags to taxis in London and we have another 1,500 bags to donate to London. So, I am busy, busy with 2,000 bags to pack in my kitchen to get down to various spots in and around London. We had a very good day giving out the kits at the taxi-feeder park in Heathrow and this is a good spot to get all the cabs in one place. Going forward, we will probably be using the feeder park again and also City Airport, as these are good spots to give out the bags and put the stickers on the taxi windows.”

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA said: “We are delighted to be supporting this fantastic initiative with the potential to save lives. Black cabs are a staple on London’s streets and so are ideally placed to carry these bandages, with participating taxis able to be quickly flagged down in an emergency or drivers to pull over and help if they come across a serious incident or life-threatening situation. We know that cabbies often stop to assist people in distress and help keep Londoners safe when the
worst happens, now they will be better equipped to do so.”

Alex adds: “I want to also thank TfL for supporting this life-saving initiative. With further funding, it is our hope and aim that one day up to 8,000 cabs in the capital will carry these bandage kits.”

You can contact Rapaid if you would like to make a donation or find out more about carrying one of the kits.