Paramedic stab vest decision due following trial
A TRIAL of stab vests for West Midlands paramedics is set to end this month ahead of a decision about whether to introduce them permanently to protect them from attacks.
More than 20 medics based in Willenhall have been wearing protective vests while responding to emergency calls since September following a surge of violence towards ambulance workers on the job.
A trial of bodyworn cameras – which could prove crucial in capturing evidence of attacks – is also ongoing.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) bosses said feedback from paramedics who have been wearing the vests will form part of the decision-making progress on whether they will become permanent additions to the uniform.
One of the 22 medics who has taken part in the trial is Deena Evans who was left fighting for her life after being stabbed while responding to a call in Wolverhampton in 2020.
She said she supported vests being made permanent as it was more likely to protect her while on jobs so she could “go home to my children”.
The rollout of vests and cameras reflects the growing trend of violence towards emergency workers.
Attacks on lifesaving paramedics have more than tripled over the last decade, surging to almost 600 last year – 11 every week.
Medics have become used to encountering vitriol while on jobs, with the threat of verbal and physical abuse now deemed an occupational hazard. There has also been a number of attacks by mindless thugs on ambulance crews as they drove to emergencies, with bricks thrown, tyres slashed and vehicles even urinated on.
Adam Aston, a paramedic from Dudley, said it was a “sad state of affairs” that such extreme measures were having to be taken to protect medics.
“The ambulance service is doing everything it can to put measures in place to keep us safe.
“It is quite a sad state of affairs that people feel, when our job is to help people, that we need that sort of protection,” he said.
WMAS chief executive Anthony Marsh said: “The safety of my staff is of paramount importance to me.
“If they are injured, they are not available to respond to patients.”