Shocking catalogue of abuse on 999 staff

One in three on frontline duty attacked by drunks

EMERGENCY workers are facing an epidemic of violence and abuse.

Scotland’s police officers, paramedics and firefighters said they have been punched, threatened and spat on while trying to do their job on the front line.

A staff survey across the three ‘blue light’ services found alcohol misuse is a contributory factor in half of the incidents 999 workers responded to.

Nearly one in three workers – 30 per cent – said they were subjected to physical abuse while attending an alcohol-related incident in the month before the survey.

More than two-thirds – 68 per cent – said they have experienced verbal abuse from drinkers, while 63 per cent said they had faced difficulties in securing urgent information because of victims or callers being drunk.

The three services are now campaigning for an end to such ‘unacceptable’ behaviour.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer David McGown said: ‘The public will be shocked to hear front-line firefighters and control officers are often abused and obstructed by people under the influence of alcohol.

‘Being drunk is absolutely no excuse for impeding emergency responders or directing abuse at them. This is reckless, criminal behaviour that risks lives and it can never be tolerated.’

Anonymous responses to the survey shed light on what the services called the ‘sad reality’ faced by those on the front line.

One firefighter said: ‘I was in breathing apparatus at a house fire and I found a man lying in his bed.

‘He had tried to cook after coming back from a night out but he was drunk and fell asleep.

‘The smoke alarm was blaring but he only woke up when I shook him to see if he was alive. He punched me in the face.’

The study also revealed an ambulance on its way to a life-threatening emergency was delayed by drunks who danced in front of it.

Paramedic Jamie McNamee of trade union Unison has been subjected to attacks on a number of occasions.

Once he was held against his will for almost an hour and police had to break in to the house to help.

He said: ‘I have been kicked, punched, spat on.’

A paramedic who did not want to be named was stabbed with a dirty needle while on duty.

He said: ‘I was in the back of an ambulance, I had given him the right drugs to help him, he took an exception to it and stabbed me. He was HIV positive and Hep C positive. I had to have a year of tests because of it.’

Another long-serving paramedic said: ‘In 27 years, maybe about six or seven times I’ve had a fist flung at me. I’ve been assaulted twice with dogs as well – once was the dog’s fault, the second time was the owner’s fault.

‘They set the dog on me. They didn’t want me to come in and they just sent it after me.’

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said: ‘The demands being placed on the emergency services by people who are drunk are huge.

‘On many occasions, it delays police officers, firefighters and paramedics from getting to members of the public who do need our protection and help.’

Daren Mochrie, Scottish Ambulance Service director of service delivery, said: ‘Our staff should not have to fear for their own safety when treating patients, but alcohol is a key factor in most assaults.

‘However, at times they are verbally abused and have to put up with being pushed and spat on, as well as being kicked, punched, and in some extreme cases assaulted with a variety of weapons.

‘Instances of this kind of behaviour would fall dramatically if people learned to drink responsibly.’