Paramedics are not seeking armed escorts

YOU reported (June 12) an official of the Association of Ambulance Personnel claiming that paramedics are refusing to answer calls to certain parts of Limerick city without an armed garda escort.

This is not so.

No paramedics have refused to cover calls in any area of the mid-west, including Limerick city. Gardaí may be requested to attend an incident where our information indicates that their presence is warranted, eg, road accidents, violent incidents or to meet legal requirements.

All our ambulance personnel are trained in scene safety, ie, the safety of themselves as well as patients, and we endeavour to protect our staff in whatever way we can.

Your report also said there were four or five court cases pending in the Limerick area alone. The chief ambulance officer is unaware of any court cases in Limerick or any other area of the mid- west involving ambulance personnel.

It is regrettable that your editorial in the same issue repeated the claim that our paramedics are refusing to answer calls to certain parts of Limerick city without a garda escort — an allegation to which we had not been given an opportunity to respond before publication.

Michael Walsh

Press Officer

HSE West

31/33 Catherine Street

Limerick