In some of the rougher districts of Paris’ sprawling suburbs, where street gangs play out their turf wars, local people don’t call the ambulance service if someone suffers a drug over dose ,is knifed or is the subject of a domestic assault they call the fire brigade. Ambulances are routinely accompanied by police and that means awkward questions, identity checks and immigration status verification. The black population who live deprived areas don’t trust the police believing them to be racist.
After numerous assaults on ambulance crews by people under the influence of drugs and alcohol they quiet reasonably refused to entre some estates particularly at night without a police escort. So now fire crews find themselves providing first aid and giving patients lifts to hospital.
It could never happen here .could it?
Assaults on ambulance crews particularly at night in some parts of our cities have become all too common fuelled by drugs and alcohol which make peoples’ behaviour unpredictable and prone to violent out bursts. Often the situation is inflamed by “friends” and on lookers who are also under the influence. It’s worse in the summer when nights are longer and more people are on the streets.
How long before ambulance crews insist on more protection? And a police presence in some of our inner city areas is not always welcome.
Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future published by www.russellhouse.co.uk