ATLANTA — EMS workers are constantly on the frontlines trying to provide care to patients, but it’s become an increasingly dangerous job as patient attacks increase.
“We’re noticing that it is a concern because we’ve seen a slight uptick in assaults on first responders whether it’s fire or EMS. We have an enhanced police security that’s available for us to go on these calls with us,” said Dennis Westover, Director of MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service.
Westover told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell that restraint devices weren’t widely used five years ago, but that has changed in recent years as more patients become violent.
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“I’ve been hit in the face, I’ve been poked in the eye,” said Chad Black, Chairman of the Georgia EMS Association
Black says attacks on EMS workers is a nationwide problem and a serious offense.
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Within the past year, three arrest warrants were issued for three different people who allegedly attacked EMTs in Cobb County. In one case, a pediatrician was accused of being the aggressor.
“We usually rely upon the police department to provide protection for us when we go on calls.
We are enhancing our mental health awareness training that we have,” said Westover.
“We’ve got to go back and look at the training and how we are protecting our people we need funding to do more training,” said Black.
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