Ten-second triage kits to be added to fire engines

The slap on wristband shows what category of care patients need

All of Northamptonshire's fire engines are due to have "ten-second triage kits" on board that can be used to prioritise patients at major incidents.

The county's fire service said colour-coded slap wristbands that highlight how injured a person is would be available to firefighters by the end of September.

The kits allow fire crews "to identify what category of care an injured patient needs within ten seconds" so they can apply wristbands. Then when paramedics arrive, they can quickly see who to treat first.

They are being introduced following findings from the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing inquiry.

Northamptonshire firefighters are being trained on how to use the kits

Xtract Stretchers that quickly move people away from areas of risk are also being added to the engines.

Matt Butler, group commander, said: "One of the learning points from the Manchester Arena inquiry was that the triage process needed to be standardised across the emergency services, and one of the recommendations was that fire staff be trained in utilising these ten-second triage kits."

Danielle Stone, the Labour police, fire and crime commissioner, said the equipment "is really going to help in our preparation for major events, as well as responding to them with our emergency service partners".