Queensland police officers to be issued potentially lifesaving tourniquets following lengthy campaign

After a $5 million commitment from the government and lengthy campaign, Queensland police officers are finally set to be issued a potentially lifesaving piece of equipment that weighs just 100 grams.

Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie says tourniquets will be rolled out to each front line officer in Queensland. Picture: Supplied

Frontline police officers will be supplied personal tactical first aid kits, including tourniquets following lengthy campaigning.

Police Minister Dan Purdie made the $5m announcement on 4BC radio on Tuesday morning, saying they were in the process of purchasing 12,500 tourniquets for front line officers.

Tourniquets are used to wrap tightly around limbs to control blood flow in the event of a severe wound such as a gunshot or stabbing injury.

It follows a shocking shooting on January 10 in which a police officer narrowly escaped death thanks to a personal tourniquet tied around his leg by another officer.

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior with a medical tourniquet.

“These tactical first aid kits are available in every police vehicle. But as we saw on January 10 with that incident you just outlined that frontline police officers face different risks every day, and it became apparent to us off the back of that incident that maybe they needed to also have one accessible on their person,” Mr Purdie said on 4BC.

“That’s why we at a cost of over $5 million, which is not really about the money, it’s about making sure our police have everything they need to keep themselves and their colleagues and the community safe.”

Mr Purdie said as soon as they get the tourniquets in store they will be rolled out immediately to each frontline officer in Queensland.

He went on to say they would be light to carry, following concerns from the Police Union it would be too bulky, weighing only 100g but would be up to the officer to decide if they want to carry it on at all times.

“We don’t want to want to impose this on every police officer to find space because as you just pointed out, they’ve got a lot of kits hey carry around, anyone who’s seen a police officer walking the beat recently realises that so we do trust police to make that decision to do a risk assessment and if they want to carry it on their person at all times they can do that,” Mr Purdie said.

A closer look at the tourniquet and tactical first aid kit.

Mr Purdie said while it would not be compulsory for officers to carry the tourniquets he said officers will be able to conduct their own “risk assessment” to carry the life saving equipment.

“Every frontline police officer who wants to carry one, on their person will have access to one,” he said.

We’re not making it compulsory for a number of different reasons.”

Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said officers go through about 200 kits a month.

“We have to factor that into planning.The initiative will represent an investment of $5.399m over five years. Committed to making sure that our police are properly equipped at the front line,” he said

“They’re designed to be used in high risk situations where not only members of the QPS can be at high risk through injuries, but also members of our community.

“We’re going to provide them with them, and we’re going to allow them to pick the best way to wear that piece of equipment on their individual vests and integrated load bearing vests in particular, because we want them to be safe.”

Speaking on 4BC following the minister, Police Union President Shane Prior said the rollout of the kits is a “no-brainer”.

“We’re working in a very dangerous environment, 12 officers a week are assaulted or seriously assaulted and … if it wasn’t for that tourniquet we would be talking about the death of a police officer in Queensland [on January 10],” Mr Prior said.

Mr Prior explained the tourniquet and tactical first aid kit were separate – with trauma shears, chest seals and bandages included in the kit.

However, Mr Prior said he had faith that every single police officer would use the kits.

“Every police officer that I speak to everyday wants one of these kits on their person because they know the environment that they are working in is extremely dangerous,” he said.

Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski also commented on the recent violence in Brisbane’s south as four people including two young teenagers who have been charged in relation to a string of property crime offences between the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, including Rochedale and Logan.

Mr Gollschewski said personal crime continues to rise and there is more work to be done.

“We’ve seen increases in violence in recent years. We’ve talked about it a number of times, that since Covid, there’s been an uptake in violent crime,” he said.

“We are seeing more violent offenses, and that’s a really concerning trend for us, and we’re very focused.”

Mr Gollschewski said the offending behavior is driven by the changes in our community and some of the attitudes.

“We don’t just see it in offending, you know, assaults and that kind of thing, and domestic and family violence. We see it in road rage incidents and people’s behavior on the roads,” he said.

Originally published as Queensland police officers to be issued potentially lifesaving tourniquets following lengthy campaign