Alcohol/ drugs, entitlement and lack of punishment is the cause of this.
Too many people drinking too much whilst high on coke in towns. Plus the steroid abusers are rampant in South Wales
If I was a paramedic / medic and was being attacked by someone, I would not help them.
Why should I continue to be attacked for doing my job.
Edited: to read better
Why would anyone assault a person that was there to help them? Who calls the emergency services just to have an argument? Jesus christ.
A breakdown on how many of these incidents involve locals or tourists would be useful as well.
I used to run a nightclub in Central London a decade or so ago, I saw this so many times. Never understood why people would attack emergency services whilst they were just trying to help people.
I can maybe understand someone who experienced trauma and they’re scared and confused, but people lashing out who weren’t even involved in the incident, I just don’t get that.
I’ve seen ( amongst many things ) people actually trying to remove their blood soaked unconscious friends from ambulance stretchers and then going mad and becoming violent when the crew intervenes. WFT is that even about?
Completely unacceptable. There should be heavy penalties for behaviour like that. If you can’t control yourself then maybe keep off the booze and drugs to be honest.
It’s very easy to come out with the assumption that people who assault emergency services workers are just wrong’uns, but let’s not forget other reasons this may happen:
-Mental health crisis
-Learning difficulties
-Agitated head injuries
-Poor previous interactions with emergency services and social services
Also, dare I say it, and this may make me unpopular with some colleagues, but some emergency services workers do absolutely escalate situations either on purpose because they want to feel some power, or because they’ve got a shit attitude towards things like mental health, mental health is particularly difficult in ambulance services, it’s not really a health issue we can do anything about and we have literally zero training in it.
Having spoken to a relative who is a paramedic in the Bristol area. This isn’t at all shocking to read, I’m glad it’s being brought to light.
He did mention that it’s usually aggression and attacks towards female paramedics and as soon as a male staff member shows up the aggression stops completely.
Outside of mental health, there should be a zero tolerance policy, if you attack or insult a paramedic they should have the option to decide it’s safer not to treat you and leave or wait for police before attending to the patient
You can never account for all the crazies in these jobs. The personnel should be allowed to carry mace to protect themselves.
For years I never understood how someone could even contemplate being rude to a paramedic, until **I encountered the nastiest one ever** when 111 sent an ambulance to me after my health had worsened. I had to bite my tongue and suck up all of their dismissive and abrupt manner, it was borderline sadism because I was physically in pain. I can only imagine what a less reasonable and sober person’s reaction would be to that disgusting attitude. I don’t care what your role is, if you speak to people like they are shit, you are going to get a reaction. Bring on the downvotes!
The amount of people here justifying attacking emergency workers here makes me sick
“But but mental health” **No Fuck off**
“But but they were mean to me once “ **No Fuck off**
9 comments
Alcohol/ drugs, entitlement and lack of punishment is the cause of this.
Too many people drinking too much whilst high on coke in towns. Plus the steroid abusers are rampant in South Wales
If I was a paramedic / medic and was being attacked by someone, I would not help them.
Why should I continue to be attacked for doing my job.
Edited: to read better
Why would anyone assault a person that was there to help them? Who calls the emergency services just to have an argument? Jesus christ.
A breakdown on how many of these incidents involve locals or tourists would be useful as well.
I used to run a nightclub in Central London a decade or so ago, I saw this so many times. Never understood why people would attack emergency services whilst they were just trying to help people.
I can maybe understand someone who experienced trauma and they’re scared and confused, but people lashing out who weren’t even involved in the incident, I just don’t get that.
I’ve seen ( amongst many things ) people actually trying to remove their blood soaked unconscious friends from ambulance stretchers and then going mad and becoming violent when the crew intervenes. WFT is that even about?
Completely unacceptable. There should be heavy penalties for behaviour like that. If you can’t control yourself then maybe keep off the booze and drugs to be honest.
It’s very easy to come out with the assumption that people who assault emergency services workers are just wrong’uns, but let’s not forget other reasons this may happen:
-Mental health crisis
-Learning difficulties
-Agitated head injuries
-Poor previous interactions with emergency services and social services
Also, dare I say it, and this may make me unpopular with some colleagues, but some emergency services workers do absolutely escalate situations either on purpose because they want to feel some power, or because they’ve got a shit attitude towards things like mental health, mental health is particularly difficult in ambulance services, it’s not really a health issue we can do anything about and we have literally zero training in it.
Having spoken to a relative who is a paramedic in the Bristol area. This isn’t at all shocking to read, I’m glad it’s being brought to light.
He did mention that it’s usually aggression and attacks towards female paramedics and as soon as a male staff member shows up the aggression stops completely.
Outside of mental health, there should be a zero tolerance policy, if you attack or insult a paramedic they should have the option to decide it’s safer not to treat you and leave or wait for police before attending to the patient
You can never account for all the crazies in these jobs. The personnel should be allowed to carry mace to protect themselves.
For years I never understood how someone could even contemplate being rude to a paramedic, until **I encountered the nastiest one ever** when 111 sent an ambulance to me after my health had worsened. I had to bite my tongue and suck up all of their dismissive and abrupt manner, it was borderline sadism because I was physically in pain. I can only imagine what a less reasonable and sober person’s reaction would be to that disgusting attitude. I don’t care what your role is, if you speak to people like they are shit, you are going to get a reaction. Bring on the downvotes!
The amount of people here justifying attacking emergency workers here makes me sick
“But but mental health” **No Fuck off**
“But but they were mean to me once “ **No Fuck off**
“But but previous experiences” **No no Fuck off**