Transporting Your Attacker, and Your Right to Refuse

[ITBITB13]

You apparently haven't worked in rough enough areas.... i know of coworkers who were assaulted (usually by people under the influence or EDPs), some severely (IE, were unable to complete their shift afterwards, and were out of work for several days), and my partner was assaulted (albeit minorly) in the suburbs.

It happens more than you think (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=paramedic+assaulted&iar=news&ia=news).

As for why it happens? EMS is a known soft target, many laws don't protect EMS personnel (or if they do exist, they aren't enforced), and quite honestly, all too often, there are little to no consequences to pushing around the ambulance people, so people do what they can with without consequence . Although based on news reports the problem of lack of consequences for assaulting EMS is worse outside of the US

This.

Is it weird that working some of the roughest areas of LA/Orange county were also some of the best times I’ve had?

 

[Tigger]

I think the whole "rough areas" thing is a little bit of a fallacy too. As soon as you think you're safe from assault as an EMS provider, that's when it happens. Bad things happen in all environments and the staggering volume of providers who have been assaulted on the job seems to bear this out. As always, YMMV, but I seem to run into many more aggressive hostile and angry folks in the boons than I do in the city and out here, most everyone has a gun or seven.

 

[DrParasite]

Is it weird that working some of the roughest areas of LA/Orange county were also some of the best times I’ve had?

Is is wrong that I have more fun working in rough areas, in urban cities, and would pick them as my primary coverage area over the suburbs any day of the week? you put me in the heart of the ghetto, and I'm happy as a clam.... you put me out in the sticks, and I am totally miserable.

Although I will say, and YMMV, outside of the EDPs and people under the influence and the system abusers, EMS people, in general, are more respected by the population, at least on par with the FD and PD (well, sometime the PD). Definitely not the case in the suburbs, at least based on my experienced.

It might be generalizing, but I think you are more likely to get assaulted outside of the ghetto than inside it. However, you are more likely to get seriously hurt if you get assaulted in the ghetto than in the burbs. Again, just my random observations based on my experience

 

[wtferick]

Don

Problem is; you can't refuse to respond to a 'location' because usually in cases like this it would be a street or a corner. Today would be a homeless person, tomorrow could be the mayor's wife who sprained her ankle stepping off the curb at the same corner.
You can ask for the police to respond with you, but depending where it is you may not get them.
Where I work now FT, we have the police on every one and PT almost every run. It is nice to be spoiled for a change

Do all your calls get dispatched as "unknown?" I'm sure we all know exactly when we are running on that unfortunate individual for the fourth time that day...