The new rules to keep Victoria’s paramedics safe

Ambulance Victoria is rolling out new safety measures to keep first responders safe.

There are about a dozen incidents every week across Victoria where paramedics are injured while simply trying to do their job.

In the past week alone, a drug-affected man took over an ambulance while being driven through the CBD.

Last month paramedics had to shelter in a house in Melbourne’s south-east after angry bystanders slashed the tyres of their ambulance.

Under new safety measures paramedics will have to fill in a risk assessment checklist at callouts that will determine whether police need to be called or whether patients need to be sedated to prevent attacks.

MICA paramedic Brook Sumner say it’ll help keep paramedics safe.

“By giving everyone a repeatable, easy to put into place risk assessment tool that they can use in the job, I think will be a great benefit to our staff,” he told Ross and Russel.

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