Australian paramedics may be allowed to carry pepper spray — ABC News Australia
In Australia’s Northern Territory, the government is discussing the possibility of allowing ambulance workers to carry pepper spray for self-defence due to attacks on paramedics. This was reported by ABC News Australia.
Joshua Burgoyne, the member for the Braitling electorate in Alice Springs, said the authorities had discussed with St John Ambulance NT management the possibility of giving paramedics the right to carry pepper spray for protection. According to him, staff may have differing views on such an initiative, and the government is ready to consider measures necessary for their safety.
Cases of violence
St John Ambulance NT reported that since the beginning of the year, paramedics in Central Australia have faced 88 cases of serious violence. Emergency medical workers in Darwin also say they are experiencing a record number of attacks.
Earlier this year, St John Ambulance NT said it was considering introducing body-worn cameras following unrest in Alice Springs and ongoing attacks on ambulance workers in the Northern Territory.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Incidents in Alice Springs
On 11 September, six paramedics were forced to barricade themselves inside a house in the eastern Alice Springs suburb of Larapinta, where they were assisting a seriously ill patient. St John Ambulance NT’s southern regional manager, Abby Studley, said the situation changed dramatically after a large group of people arrived in taxis.
According to Studley, staff had to push aggressively behaving people out of the house, barricade themselves inside using their bodies and stretchers, and activate a police emergency alert. After law enforcement officers arrived, the patient was taken to hospital.
The service also said that a glass bottle was thrown at a paramedic the day before this incident, while in another case that same week ambulance workers were threatened as they were transporting a patient. St John Ambulance NT has strengthened training in preventative actions, de-escalation and cultural safety, and also encourages staff to leave the scene if they feel unsafe.
