Lay off our workers: Ambulance Victoria

AMBULANCE Victoria has issued a plea to the community to give paramedics and call takers their due respect after more than one hundred reported incidents resulting in injury between July 2023 and March this year.

This included a paramedic being grabbed and punched in the face by someone they were treating, another suffering a dislocation after a patient became aggressive, and a group of emergency responders being harassed and threatened with assault by a man outside a Melbourne hospital.

Injuring an emergency worker in Victoria is a Category 1 offence and carries a mandatory minimum six-month jail sentence.

Other altercations involving verbal assault, swearing and name calling are thought to often make a serious situation worse, forcing paramedics to pause their treatment or withdraw from the scene.

AV executive director regional operations Danielle North said violence against paramedics is intolerable and this behaviour should not be normalised as part of the job.

“We know emergency situations can be stressful for people, but this is no excuse to behave aggressively towards paramedics,” she said.

“We are aware of several serious occupational violence incidents recently across the state and it is timely that we remind the community again that violence against paramedics, first responders and call takers is never okay.

“Our top priority is the safety of our paramedics and first responders, and they have our full support to leave an incident if they ever feel unsafe.

“Assaulting or berating a paramedic will not help them do their job any quicker.”