Assembly bid to give ambulance staff protection from attacks

A proposal which aims to offer ambulance staff the same legal protection as a police officer or firefighter is set to be debated in the Assembly this week.
The Ambulance Service has reported a number of attacks on their personnel around the ProvinceThe Ambulance Service has reported a number of attacks on their personnel around the Province
The Ambulance Service has reported a number of attacks on their personnel around the Province

DUP MLA for North Antrim, Paul Frew, proposes to make the amendment to the Justice No 2 Bill (currently going through the Assembly) which would mean attacks on ambulance staff would meet the same level of penalty as an attack on a police officer or a firefighter.

It is expected to be debated in a marathon session of plenary.

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“We have the police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order which means that if you attack either of these personnel the penalty available for the offence is six months imprisonment or a maximum fine of £5000 (or both) on summary conviction, or two years imprisonment or an unlimited fine (or both) on conviction on indictment,” he said.

The emergency servicesThe emergency services
The emergency services

“It is important that those people who put themselves in danger and risk to protect us are themselves protected by the law.

“I believe that ambulance staff need that same protection as they work alongside PSNI and firefighters on many occasions, but also on their own remote from the hospital environment.”

Last November DUP MLA Lord Morrow sought parity for emergency services at Stormont’s justice committee.

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At the time he put forward a submission on why a change in the law is required to protect all members of the emergency services, and place them on equal legislative footing.

The emergency servicesThe emergency services
The emergency services

Last year there were numerous reports by the Ambulance Service of attacks on their crews.

In December an ambulance crew was attacked by a man they were treating in Carrickfergus.

The incident happened in the Windmill Avenue area of the Co Antrim town.

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It was reported that a man who was part of the crew was left with a cut lip and a woman who also tried to treat the patient was left with a back injury after being thrown across the room.

In June 2015, the NIAS reported that an ambulance crew was assaulted and their vehicle damaged as they attended a patient in Cookstown.

A spokesman for the NIAS said: “The crew were preparing the patient for transport to hospital when they were approached by a passer-by who appeared to be intoxicated.

“He began by verbally abusing the crew and then physically assaulted the paramedic, pinning him to a wall before knocking him to the ground where he sustained injuries to the head and right hand.” He said a second crew member sustained a head injury.

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Another graphic example of the violence the emergency services have to face was given last year when firefighter Noel McKee described a particularly “in-your-face” attack in the republican-dominated New Lodge area of Belfast.

On September 11 his crew – including a woman – were confronted by youths who threw an iron bar and masonry at them, as well as one who produced a baseball bat to attack them.

They had been responding to a car on fire at the time.

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