Hato Hone St John is deeply disappointed by a series of assaults inflicted on emergency ambulance staff and vehicles in Auckland at the weekend, including the deliberate vandalism of three ambulances, that led to a delay in responding to a potentially life-threatening emergency.
On Sunday morning it was discovered that five tyres on three ambulances stationed at Manukau Station were slashed while parked in a secured yard. This incident resulted in a delayed response to a potentially life-threatening incident, as the damage was only discovered at the point of dispatch.
"There was no adverse patient outcome, but the situation is understandably concerning," says Andy Everiss, Hato Hone St John Auckland District Operations Manager.
Other violent and aggressive incidents reported by frontline teams included verbal abuse, objects such as coffee being thrown at ambulance staff, threats of serious harm – including one involving a sharp weapon, and situations where crews were forced to lock themselves inside ambulances to ensure their safety.
All incidents have been reported to Police and Hato Hone St John will support Police with their investigations.
"While we are relieved that none of our people sustained any physical injuries, we acknowledge these incidents can have an emotional and psychological impact not only on our staff but their whanau and friends. Hato Hone St John offers a range of support to our people, including leadership follow-up, peer support, stand-down periods and confidential counselling and wellbeing services," says Mr Everiss.
"Hato Hone St John has zero tolerance for violence and aggression towards our people and our vehicles; this behaviour is completely unacceptable. Our ambulance staff are highly trained professionals who dedicate themselves to helping others by delivering essential, lifesaving care, and they deserve to be respected and to return home safely after every shift.
"If our ambulance staff are feeling unsafe, we fully support them to leave the scene.
"Hato Hone St John strongly supports provisions within the Crimes Amendment Bill that propose stronger penalties for assaults against first responders. We will be presenting our views to the Justice Committee next week. We welcome the introduction of this Bill and are hopeful it will act as a deterrent to such behaviour. We look forward to its progression through the House."
-
Along with the emergency ambulance service, Hato Hone St John operates a significant number of community health programmes and other activities which help build community resilience. They include Waka Ora Health Shuttles, ASB Caring Caller, St John Youth, and St John in Schools.
-
Hato Hone St John also delivers event health services, medical alarm services, first aid training, and operates retail stores across the country.
For further information please contact:
Hato Hone St John media team