Matt Hewson
As the peak holiday season approaches, Ambulance Victoria (AV) has called on the community to help stop violence directed toward paramedics.
AV released a statement this week revealing an assault or attempted assault was reported by paramedics every 15 hours across Victoria.
Incidences of occupational violence increased 14 per cent in the last financial year, with 580 cases reported, 41 of those in the Barwon South West region.
From July to June this year that rate has increased, with 33 incidents reported in the region.
AV acting team manager Michelle Risk, who has been a paramedic for 15 years and spent the last three years working in Geelong, said the busy holiday period exposed paramedics to more opportunities for abuse.
“Violence and aggression against paramedics can end careers,” Ms Risk said.
“Over time, it can have cumulative effects on anxiety, depression, PTSD. I know staff members who are off work permanently because of occupational violence.
“This campaign is about spreading awareness in the community, to be respectful and let us do our job.”
Barwon South West regional director Jessica McGowan said Ambulance Victoria had zero tolerance for threatening behaviour, abuse and assaults.
“We’ve seen horrific behaviour recently, including paramedics being spat on, hit with a closed fist, a patient punching a vehicle with the crew trapped inside and even had a random bystander hurl a hammer at an ambulance,” Ms McGowan said.
Injuring an emergency worker in Victoria is a category 1 offence and carries a mandatory minimum six-month jail sentence.
“We have zero tolerance for these disgusting and illegal acts, and we do not accept occupational violence as ‘part of the job’,” Ms McGowan said.
“For us to provide treatment to you or your loved ones, we need a safe environment to work in. We recognise emergency situations can be stressful but becoming angry or aggressive will not help you or the patient paramedics are trying to help.”
Ms Risk said one of the ways community members could help was to alert triple zero operators if violence or aggression was present at the scene.
“If they tell the call-taker at the time they can relay that and we can have police there with us to mitigate the chances of occupational violence and keep bystanders safe as well,” she said.
