News

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has introduced dedicated first aid bags in Service vehicles for incident commanders, strengthening its ability to protect communities and save lives. Developed in partnership with CorrMed, the STRIKE pouches have been designed to meet the demands of fire service response and tested with frontline response teams. The bags will be carried in all Station Manager and Group Manager vehicles. These officers are often mobile in our Service area as well as available to attend operational incidents and may also encounter members of the public requiring urgent medical assistance while carrying out their duties.

Station Manager Adam Place, whose original idea led to the initiative, said: “Although I’ve moved on from my time as a firefighter, this innovation enables me and other managers across the Service to continue saving lives. Having this equipment readily available means we can provide immediate assistance when every second counts.”

The STRIKE pouch contains essential life-saving equipment, including airway and breathing equipment, critical bleeding kits and trauma dressings, enabling officers to provide immediate care in critical situations. CorrMed, a market leader in medical bag design, has shaped its range of medical bags through extensive consultation and testing with emergency responders to ensure they are durable, practical and operationally effective.

Fiona Gardner, Commercial Director at CorrMed, said: “Working with SWFRS to develop this bag has been a fantastic example of true collaboration. By listening to frontline teams, making refinements and testing the design, we created a solution that is fit for purpose and supports operational response.” The introduction of the STRIKE pouches reflects SWFRS’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its emergency response capabilities and protecting communities across South Wales. Watch Manager and Training and Casualty Care Lead for SWFRS, Richie Matthews said: “Our officers already have the knowledge and skills to help save lives in our communities.

These bags give them standardised, agile equipment to deliver potentially life-saving interventions when needed. While we hope they never have to use it, they now have the tools to provide immediate support should their skills be required. It is pleasing to see our partnership with CorrMed produce such a dynamic and practical STRIKE pouch, already being used by other agencies and services across the country. We are now working with specialist teams across the Service to identify further areas where this agile equipment could be used.”