For one minute only… let us not talk about money, but our hopefully genuine passion for the personal safety of those who protect, serve and care.
It is very difficult for me to provide you with statistics and outcome of extensive research projects from around the world, but I certainly feel very strongly that the assault rate on ambulance staff and paramedics is on the increase and the risk of being attacked is real.
The East of England Ambulance Service, one of many here in the UK, reported a 10 per cent increase of assaults on their frontline staff. A total of 140 staff were assaulted in 116 incidents across the counties of Suffolk,Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in 2010/2011.
The number of assaults on South Central Ambulance Service staff (another authority here in the UK) in 2010-11 rose by 22 per cent from the previous year, with 73 incidents recorded compared to 60 in 2009-10.
We all, and certainly all senior health & safety managers within these organisations are clearly shocked and furious and state that any form of attack on their staff is unacceptable no matter how serious they may be, whether it be physical or verbal.
These acts of aggression carried out by hostile and intoxicated members of the general public (such as the assault on John Reed in the UK), while these great professionals try help, support and even attempt to save lives, are simply appalling and present us with the question: “When will ambulance staff and paramedics be issued with body armour?”
Well, one might say there is no money to protect those who serve, almost suggesting there is a price we can put on someone’s life.
Others might argue that body armour look too aggressive, authoritative or confrontational. Well, in one of my previous blogs I have made it very clear that the ‘design argument’ is often used as an excuse for not issuing PPE, but should be put to the attention of the body armour manufacturer anyway. ‘They’… and this includes my company PPSS Group… should adapt to this argument, designing, developing, manufacturing and supplying body armour, which don’t look like body armour.
User friendly body armour are now available in ‘disguise’, for example in form of a high visibility vest. They also come as ultra and light models, so it does not shine through the t-shirt, fleece or jacket the paramedic is wearing. Whatever it takes… let’s do it.
I think there are real options, realistic and user friendly options, to effectively protect ambulance staff and paramedics without making them appear as obvious targets. However, the matter of fact is the senior management must sit down and LOOK for these options. The argument there is no money or body armour look too aggressive doesn’t help protect these frontline professionals. It doesn’t increase their chance of coming home safely. It doesn’t improve their personal safety.
Knives are now being carried and used by people of all age groups. It is sad, but it is reality. It doesn’t mean all these ‘kids’ will use the knife they carry, but it can mean that knife could be used when things don’t go their way… and they certainly don’t always, as many paramedics would agree.
Maybe it is all about education. If we as security experts and consultants make up-to-date information on body armour available to these decision makers, and if all those who genuinely really care for the personal safety of those who protect and serve explain to those responsible for the safety of paramedics that design and manufacturing capabilities within the world of body armour have evolved… then maybe these guys will once day get this type of protective equipment they often demand and surely deserve.
Based on a six months lasting research project we have carried out in 2010/11, 72.8% of those completing our survey stated “body armour, which offer blunt trauma protection, should be issued to ALL Paramedics”.
87.7% also confirmed that “paramedics should be issued with their OWN INDIVIDUAL body armour”.
55.6% mentioned they were not aware of the latest available advances in concealable body armour, e.g. thickness, weight, concealability and wearability.
Let us speak to these professionals and explain to them what can and should be done to improve their personal safety… it got to be worth it.
I’ve no idea that so many people take a knife in your reserch, but, around me, maybe most of them take keys and nail clippers.
I work as a solo responder in one of this country’s major cities.
I have over the last ten years seen too many incidents where people who are intoxicated, drug impaired, or just plain stupid & angry threaten harm to ambulance staff who are there to help them or thier friends/family.
For the most part, we have a brilliant track record of being able to “talk down” these incidents to reach a solution. Conflict resolution & awareness training has helped in this. But we are still in a very vulnerable position, which is being made even worse with the local police authority refusing to attend “potential” incidents of violence until someone is actually in attendance & being threatened or assaulted, stating that thier own operational pressures are reducing available resources.
The situation has become so worrying to me that I have purchased my own body armour to wear when I feel it may be required. Obviously this puts me at odds with my employers corporate uniform policy, but I have yet to find a manager who has been brave enough to tell me to take it off, especially when so many have stated privately that they support the idea!
I am baffled as to why there is so much resistance to providing frontline staff with what I consider to be vital PPE.
I sincerely hope that common sense will break out soon to rectify the problem, but I know that in these difficult times, the budget will have the biggest effect on decisions of this nature.