A new mobile phone app has been launched offering members of the public advice on how to save lives in the event of terrorist attacks.CitizenAid provides guidance immediate action to take amid a mass shooting, bombing or knife attack, including tips on how to stem bleeding from serious wounds and treat burns.
Its creators say it will be effective in the aftermath of an attack when emergency services may be concerned with removing a threat, rather than treating victims. They say it could take some time before it is deemed safe for paramedics to arrive on the scene after an attack.
“I have treated hundreds of soldiers whose lives have been saved by simply the applications of tourniquets when they have been shot or blown up,” Contributor Sir Keith Porter told the BBC.
“Teaching individual soldiers these skills has saved lives and I think it is essential we train the public in those skills and that is exactly what CitizenAID does.”
“Many of these people who have stepped forward and helped do not understand how important these simple actions were.”
He said the app could help members of the public “navigate through the chaos” if caught up in a terror attack.
The guide, available to download for free or in print at a small cost, includes advice on how to make and use a tourniquet safely to stem blood loss – one of the major causes of death following attacks
