St John Ambulance launches crackdown on violence against ambos

St John Ambulance officers will trial body-worn cameras and slash-proof clothing amid a spate of assaults on paramedics.

West Australian ambulance officers will trial body-worn cameras and slash-proof clothing in a bid to keep paramedics safe from those they’re trying to help.

It follows projections St John Ambulance will record 270 violent incidents against ambulance crews this financial year – a figure on par with previous years, showing the problem isn’t getting any better.

St John Group chief executive Kevin Brown said frontline personnel were at their wit’s end with the behaviour of members of the public who encountered emergency responders.

“Everyone should expect to go home to their partner, friends and family with the same level of mental and physical health with which they came to work,” Mr Brown said.

“St John has already rolled out highly successful de-escalation training to personnel to ensure our people have the skills to keep themselves safe, but more can be done.”

A windscreen smashed during a triple-0 response, with a man charged over the alleged incident. Picture: St John Ambulance

Eastern states St John employees are already undergoing bodycam trials.

“Our goal is not just to reduce injury but to greater support team members,” Mr Brown said.

“This means St John will actively pursue charges against anyone who acts in a violent or aggressive manner to people working on the front line of emergency ambulance response.”

For example, a man has been charged after he allegedly smashed the windscreen of an ambulance, taking the vehicle off the road.

St John figures also show instances where ambulance officers request WA Police support prior to attending a triple-0 emergency are up 14 per cent on 2018.

“This isn’t a matter of us seeing a big increase in violence and aggression incidents but instead a recognition that ambulance teams should not have to put up with it,” Mr Brown said.

United Workers Union national ambulance co-ordinator Fiona Scanlon on Thursday told 6PR radio that the rate of paramedics being attacked was “horrific”.

“The fact that these things even need to be considered is just a testament to the increase in the frequency of these types of events,” Ms Scanlon said.

“A large proportion of those stats would be people with mental health problems or some kind of substance that makes them not in control of their actions; that’s no excuse for our members, who deserve to come home safe.

“I don’t know what the answer is … it’s a meaner and more aggressive society out there in general.”

It’s understood a small number of officers will trial the cameras and slash-proof clothing before a wider trial is rolled out.

Originally published as St John Ambulance launches crackdown on violence against ambos