Ambulance union says emergency services are stretched, not safe following speargun ordeal

The ambos’ union says more resources and collaboration between emergency services is necessary to minimise danger after paramedics were threatened at gunpoint on Wednesday.

The ambulance union is calling for more collaboration between emergency services after a group of Queensland Ambulance Service officers were yesterday allegedly threatened at gunpoint while trying to treat an injured man.

United Workers Union National Ambulance Coordinator Fiona Scalon told The Courier-Mail instances of violence and abuse are steadily growing year-on-year and more support and protection of paramedics ‘just doing their job’ is required.

“We have highly trained and professional ambulance workers across the state who enter high-risk and unfamiliar situations everyday and violent incidents such as the one yesterday increasingly makes them feel unsafe at work” Ms Scalon said.

The desperate calls come as five paramedics were yesterday forced to seek refuge in their ambulance after a man allegedly pointed a speargun at them and made threats to shoot.

According to a Queensland Police Service statement, the 52-year-old man from Silkstone allegedly became aggressive before he went to his car, allegedly pulling out a speargun from the rear of the vehicle and threatening to kill the ambulance officers.

The rate of occupational violent incidents has increased steadily since the Paramedic Safety Task Force released its final report in April 2016. Picture: David Clark

“Most paramedics work in pairs, but when there are absentees some are forced to work by themselves, and that is where risk is amplified” Ms Scalon said.
“Thankfully there were two crews called to the incident yesterday, but that just proves that even with more paramedics, danger is always present” she said.
“The paramedics are stretched for resources, the police are too, all of our emergency services desperately need more funding so they can work in tandem and assist each other, especially in the highly stressful environments they attend daily.”
The rate of occupational violent incidents has increased steadily since the Paramedic Safety Task Force released its final report in April 2016.
The report found that southeast Queensland was overwhelmingly the worst region for occupational violence, followed by Townsville.
Ms Scalon said in the previous 12 months more than 260 incidents have occurred with varying severity.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said it was little more than luck that no one was injured during the incident involving the speargun. Picture: David Clark

“Police and Ambulance assist each other all the time, but if paramedics are dealing with a high case load and Police are dealing with limited staff numbers, clearly there is a problem.”

In the moments following the terrifying ordeal, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said it was little more than luck that no one was injured.

“It’s a scary situation for our officers and just shows they never know what they’ll be faced with” the spokesman said.
“Due to the quick response of QPS and our paramedics, who are well trained to deal with this sort of stuff, no one was seriously hurt, but the situation could have been a lot worse” he said.

The man yesterday fronted Richlands Magistrate Court charged with five counts of serious assault of an ambulance officer.

The man was remanded in custody and will appear via videolink in Richlands Magistrate Court on May 14.

Originally published as Ambulance union says emergency services are stretched, not safe following speargun ordeal