SUNRAYSIA emergency services have taken a combined stand against overly aggressive “ice” or alcohol affected people abusing paramedics and police on the beat.
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Yesterday, relieving Mildura Ambulance Victoria team manager Bronwyn Lambert said violence against paramedics would not be tolerated.
Mrs Lambert said the past three months had seen a rise in violence, threats and abuse towards paramedics, much of it related to alcohol or drug use.
“Physical and verbal assaults are totally unacceptable and we will continue to push for charges to be laid against anyone who endangers our staff,” she said.
“When someone calls 000 they want our help and so paramedics must never be subjected to threats or violence which prevent them assisting someone in need.”
Ms Lambert said despite a 110 per cent increase in the use of ice in Sunraysia, alcohol still remained the biggest cause of substance abuse call outs.
She said ambulance paramedics were trained on how to handle aggressive patients, identify potentially dangerous situations and plan a safe escape as required.
For more of this story, purchase your copy of Friday's Sunraysia Daily 4-10-2013.