Colmore BID guidance helps to save a life

L-R: John-Jo Von Johnson (Colmore BID), Tony Quinn (John Sisk & Son), Tyronne Hylton (West Midlands Fire), Holly Baird (Daniel Baird Foundation), Russell Edwards (West Midlands Fire), Oliver Taylor (West Midlands Fire), Karl Johnson (John Sisk & Son), Deborah Nickless (John Sisk & Son).

Colmore Business District’s free Trauma Equipment Awareness session helped save a life, thanks to quick and fast action.

Colmore Business District (Colmore BID), which has been in operation in city’s commercial heart since 2009, is proud to work with West Midlands Fire Safety and the Daniel Baird Foundation to deliver free, life-saving awareness sessions to businesses across Birmingham – that has proven its impact beyond the city centre.

Thanks to this partnership, local businesses can access free Trauma Equipment Awareness sessions, designed to equip employees with the confidence and skills to respond to catastrophic bleeding incidents.

Tony Quinn, a staff member from construction firm John Sisk & Son, attended one of these free sessions. Recently, while on a cruise holiday, Tony found himself in a traumatic situation when a fellow passenger suffered a severe open fracture and arterial bleed. Drawing on the awareness he received from the session, Tony was able to apply a makeshift tourniquet, stem the bleeding, and save the passengers’ life.

Detailing the incident, Tony said: “I identified the injury as a cut artery due to the timed pumping and spurting of the blood. I removed my ratchet belt to attempt to tourniquet the injury, and after three attempts of tightening above the injury, managed to stem the blood flow until the ship’s medical team arrived and took over. There was already what appeared to be quite a lot of blood lost on the pool deck prior to my intervention.

I only had the confidence and knowledge in this traumatic situation due to the trauma equipment awareness sessions organised by Colmore BID.  With the above being at the forefront of my thoughts at the time, the excellent training I received prevented what could have been a fatal situation.”

These Trauma Equipment Awareness sessions are made possible thanks to Colmore BID’s investment of resources, with businesses in Birmingham’s commercial core collectively funding initiatives that enhance the safety, resilience, and wellbeing across the District – including staff time, expertise and operational support.

Watch Commander Russell Edwards (Ladywood Fire Station), said: “This is a fantastic example of how the skills we teach can make a real difference, anywhere and at any time.

“We’re incredibly proud of Tony for staying calm under pressure and using what he learned to help someone in need. His actions undoubtedly prevented a far worse outcome.”

The awareness session took place at Sisk on Great Charles Street, where Colmore BID’s Community Operations Manager, John-Jo Von Johnson, who connects businesses and delivers these vital awareness sessions free of charge.

Also in attendance was Karl Johnson, Sisk’s Social Value & Stakeholder Manager, who praised the initiative and highlighted Sisk’s ongoing support for the Daniel Baird Foundation, which campaigns for bleed control kits to be widely available. He said: “The training is insightful as it ensures that if an incident does happen, individuals are competent and able to deal with real life situations. To me, it is essential that all organisational staff undertake this training.

A huge thank you to West Midlands Fire Service and Colmore BID for coming to site to deliver the training and of course the Daniel Baird Foundation”.

Kate Bailey, Colmore BID Board Member and Safe & Sound Working Group lead said: “This story is a powerful reminder of how BID funded initiatives have real-world impact. Our mission is to support businesses not just with placemaking and promotion, but with practical tools that protect and save lives. We’re proud to offer these sessions free of charge, thanks to the investment made by our levy payers.”

Recognised as one of the leading BIDs in the country through initiatives focused on providing value and quality to levy-payers, Colmore BID works to create a thriving city-centre environment for businesses, residents, and visitors. 

Colmore BID is encouraging all businesses in the District to take advantage of these free training opportunities. For more information or to register interest, please contact john-jo.vonjohnson@colmorebid.co.uk.

For more information, visit www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com.