The NSW Police Force (NSWPF) has launched a three-month blood donation drive and has issued a challenge to law enforcement Agencies around Australia to see which State or Territory can donate the most blood.
Launching its Bleed4Blue annual blood drive last week with a Mass Donation Day NSWPF said it expected to prompt enough donations to save more than 1,000 lives.
Assistant Commissioner at NSWPF, Steve Hegarty said the blood drive was first launched in 2018 following the stabbing of Detective Sergeant John Breda on Australia Day that year.
“We take our police operations very seriously and this blood drive is no different,” Assistant Commissioner Hegarty said.
“As first responders, police know all too well how important blood donations are for people who have been injured as a result of crime, crashes or accidents,” he said.
“If we can come together to donate life-saving blood products, we can help to save many more lives.”
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty said the Bleed4Blue drive was run in partnership with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and was established after Detective Sergeant Breda lost almost 12 litres of blood when he was stabbed during a police operation.
He said the medical team used more than 100 bags of blood to keep him alive, including 48 bags in one six-hour surgery.
“The Bleed4Blue campaign runs from Wednesday 1 December until the end of February 2022 and will again challenge police from across Australia to take part to see which State or Territory can donate the most blood,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty encouraged employees, family, friends and the community to visit a Lifeblood donor centre to donate life-saving blood products.
