Ambulances to Be Upgraded to Protect Emergency Services Personnel From Robberies and Hijackings

• Emergency services personnel in South Africa have been subjected to an increase in robberies and hijacking
• To protect paramedics from opportunistic criminals, healthcare facilities and institutions will be upgrading the security in ambulances
• The technology allows dispatchers to identify high-risk areas and decide if it is safe

JOHANNESBURG - Healthcare facilities have been forced to upgrade the security measures in their ambulances as emergency personnel have become the target of opportunistic criminals.

In a bid to protect South Africa’s paramedics, several institutions have implemented a computer-aided dispatch platform which allows emergency services to screen calls from high-risk areas.

According to the SA Private Ambulance and Emergency Services Association’s (SAPAESA) CEO Oliver Wright, the technology makes it possible for emergency services to be automatically notified if a call is being requested from a high-risk area.

This will make it possible for the dispatcher to determine whether to send a paramedic through or request the caller to have the patient transported to a safe location, City Press reported.

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While emergency healthcare workers operate in high-risk environments by nature of the job, the SAPAESA CEO claimed that the increase in attacks against paramedics is an unfortunate symptom of South Africa’s high crime rates and inadequate policing.

Gauteng Department of Health condemns attacks against emergency services personnel

The attacks on EMS personnel have become so frequent that the Gauteng Department of Health has spoken out in concern for the province’s paramedics.

According to IOL, the most recent attack happened when paramedics known as Green Angels were robbed at gunpoint while waiting for an escort after getting a call to Angelo squatter camp in Boksburg.

The health department revealed that in 2022 there were 11 incidents which included attempted sexual assault, hijacking, armed robbery and property destruction.

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Mpumalanga paramedics ambushed, ambulance stripped for parts worth more than R300k by men in balaclavas

Earlier, Briefly News reported that paramedics who responded to an emergency call about a pregnant woman in labour were ambushed by two balaclava-clad men. The emergency personnel were held up while their ambulance was stripped of its parts worth R300 000.

The incident occurred when the provincial emergency medical services team received the hoax call saying the pregnant woman was at a farm near Belfast on the Spitzkop road. A short while later, another call was received by the medical staff who were informed about a spot to meet.

Police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said the medical staff were caught up in an orchestrated robbery which was masked as an emergency call. The paramedics were tied up with cable ties and kept inside the ambulance and had their cell phones taken away, TimesLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News