Victorian paramedics to trial digital body cameras to record assaults against them

VICTORIAN paramedics are set to begin trialling digital body cameras to record assaults against them and aid in prosecutions as they continue to fall victim to aggressive drug and mental health effected patients.

Paramedic Shelly Brown, 34, was bashed by a drunken women and welcomes the idea of a potential new trial for paramedics to wear body cameras. Picture: Nigel Hallett

VICTORIAN paramedics are set to begin trialling digital body cameras to record assaults against them and aid in prosecutions as they continue to fall victim to aggressive drug and mental health effected patients.

With up to half its operational officers, or 1600 members, unable to work at any one time because of employment-related injuries, assault, trauma or stress, Ambulance Victoria has asked for a uniform-mounted body cam trial.

The Sunday Herald Sun understands Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy is likely to announce a decision on any funding allocation in October.

“The government has zero tolerance for anyone who threatens, assaults or abuses our hardworking paramedics,” Ms Hennessy told the Sunday Herald Sun.

Official data shows one paramedic is assaulted or threatened every day and of 328 formal reports in 2014-15, a third were physically attacked and about 100 cases involved drug or alcohol effected patients.

Paramedic Shelly Brown, 34, was bashed by a drunken women and welcomes the idea of a potential new trial for paramedics to wear body cameras. Picture: Nigel Hallett

In recent cases, two paramedics in Reservoir were seriously assaulted with one officer suffering leg fractures and the other bruises and abrasions while a male paramedic required stitches to his head after being attacked with his radio at Flinders and Spring streets.

Paramedic Shelly Brown, 34, was punched and slapped by a drunken woman who was ejected from a Yarraville pub six weeks ago, even though eight police officers were present.

“We were just chatting with her about how we were going to get her home when she sprung at me and punched me in the face, then she slapped me,” Ms Brown, a nine-year veteran said.

The attacker has since been charged with assaulting an emergency services worker.

“The use of body-worn cameras by paramedics is one proposal actively being considered for funding under the latest round of the Health Service Violence Prevention Fund as a new measure to reduce the risk and severity of violent attacks against paramedics, and assist authorities to better respond to incidents and prosecute perpetrators,” Ms Hennessy said.

“We are determined to stop the attacks and the abuse so our paramedics can feel safe at work and get on with doing their jobs treating patients and saving lives.”

Ambulance Victoria emergency operations acting general manager Mick Stephenson said the agency had monitored the use of body-worn cameras by Victoria Police and other emergency services overseas.

“We are monitoring their experiences and have put forward a proposal to consider whether the technology would be appropriate in an ambulance setting,” he said.

United Voice state secretary Steve McGhie, representing the ambulance union, said almost half of the entire operational ambulance population of 3400 officers were off on work-related injuries at any one time, amounting to 15,000 lost shifts last year alone.

“We see at least one paramedic per day either abused or assaulted in Victoria and that has the potential to stop paramedics doing their jobs but it also puts the public at greater risk when they need paramedic assistance,” Mr McGhie said.

“In some cases it takes many months before paramedics recover from their injuries and in some cases paramedics have left the job because of their assault.

“We’ve got to look at all options and a (body cam) trial should be conducted.

“We see a lot of these people who are alcohol or drug effected or have mental health issues that don’t get charged because of their underlying conditions.”

He said anyone who attacks a paramedic should be charged and the courts should assess what criminal liability they carried regardless of drugs or mental health.

Mr McGhie said one potential concern was that some unstable patients may seek to attack paramedics to dislodge a body camera.

“We are very cautious about it but we do think it’s something that should be considered.

“A trial would certainly be worth having and seeing what the benefits and cons are.”