Victorian Paramedics Will Now Wear Body Cameras In An Effort To Curb Occupational Violence

Paramedics across Victoria will be fitted with body cameras in a new trial to see whether they’ll reduce the rate of violence experienced on the job.

The Guardian reports more than 5,000 cases of violence towards paramedics occurred in 2015-16.

The trial will cost $500,000 and is intended to act as both a deterrent and a means to ensure successful prosecution of anyone who assaults a paramedic.

“It’s a sad indictment unfortunately of the community that these things are necessary,” said chief executive of Ambulance Victoria, Tony Walker.

“But each day our paramedics are exposed to two cases… of occupational violence and, in one of those cases a day, they are actually physically assaulted or abused.”

Jill Hennessy, the Victorian health and ambulance services minister, said paramedics could turn the body cameras on if they feel a situation is becoming volatile. They would then tell everyone around them that they are being filmed.

“What we want to ensure is we are using this as a tool to be able to discourage and understanding that they will be subjected to accountability if they subject paramedics to violence and aggression,” Ms Hennessy said.

Paramedic Shelly Brown was allegedly assaulted in 2015 while working with a patient in the back of an ambulance. Speaking to the Guardian she said, “out of the blue she [the patient] just attacked me and punched me in the face.”

“We were inside the ambulance when it happened, which is my office, and it really did mentally affect me,” she shared. “I had a bit of time off after that.”

Alcohol is one of the main risk-factors faced by paramedics, despite high-profile attention on methamphetamine drugs.

Photo: Twitter (@AmbulanceVic)