Medics attacked by man they try to help
It is the latest in a seemingly increasing phenomenon of attacks on ambulance crews and firefighters while on duty. In the early hours of yesterday, two ambulance workers were attacked after being called to an incident in Rathmines, south Dublin.
They were responding to a case where a man was reported to be unconscious outside a pub. When the crew went to help him, the man lashed out, punching at the medics.
The man was arrested by gardaí and taken into custody. The medics were brought to hospital, where their injuries, thought to be relatively minor, were treated. They were later discharged and placed on sick leave.
Ambulance workers are still on sick leave following another recent incident in Dublin in which a patient took a knife to the medics after discovering he had been brought to hospital.
“I don’t know what the answer is. We’re trying to work hand in hand with management to try and highlight it,” said SIPTU fire brigade convener Tony McDonnell.
“People who assault people in uniform need to be brought to court and punished. Once they start being convicted and that’s published in the papers, people might stop.”
He added: “we are there to help people. To be asked to render assistance and then when you get there to be assaulted, it’s literally a smack in the face.” There are no firm statistics on the actual number of such incidents in the country. But an internal survey in Dublin City Council found that more than eight out of 10 ambulance workers and firefighters had experienced physical violence.
Nine out of 10 said they had been threatened with physical violence and had experienced aggression from others.
The survey was conducted by the Fire Brigade Department in the council late last year and recently compiled.
In Dublin, the fire brigade also operates the emergency ambulance service.
Ambulance crews tend to be more at risk, given they typically operates in twos, while fire crews who operate in greater numbers.
A spokesman said Dublin Fire Brigade is currently drawing up a strategy to deal with the problem.
He said this will involve pursuing attackers in the courts.
Union members have complained at the slow pace of action at management level to tackle the problem.
They want a public campaign spelling out that violence or threats of violence against crews will not be tolerated and will be pursued in the courts.
