UNION Chiefs Say Paramedics Should Wear Stab Vests

Stab vests should be made available to ambulance professionals after UNION claim rise of violent incidents against their frontline staff. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) July 15, 2010 - UNION chiefs say paramedics should wear stab vests after figures revealed a rise in violence against crews in a number of regions.

Physical assaults against East Midlands Ambulance Service staff, including North Lincolnshire personnel, surged by 21 per cent last year, and we believe stab vests could reduce the risk of workplace violence related injuries.

Matt Whitticombe, acting General Secretary of The Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP), said crews should be deployed with stab vests.

He expressed his concerns: "APAP has run a high profile campaign for the provision of stab vests for all front-line ambulance crews since 1997. It is part of a package of measures for a safer working environment. You can never eliminate the risk of assault, but you can reduce the risk and that is where body armour is so important!"

Mr Whitticombe continued: " I'm worried the true figure for abuse is much higher than shown because there has been in the past, a culture of under reporting verbal and physical abuse. Thankfully, reporting of physical assaults has become more robust over recent years, but staff see it as so much hassle to fill out the forms needed to log verbal abuse - to take a vehicle off the road for the amount of paperwork is something they're against."

Robert Kaiser, CEO of PPSS points out: "Dealing with potentially hostile members of the public, who are under the influence of class A drugs or alcohol, means dealing with people who can overreact to anything you do or say".

Mr Kaiser explains that PPSS is a specialised manufacturer of stab vests and that his company is on the receiving end of a number of incoming enquiries from Ambulance Professionals who have not been issue with stab vests yet.

"Sometimes we get a call from an Ambulance Professional who feels that his concerns and fears are getting ignored. Is it a financial issue? Do we live in a state where we can put a value on human life?"

"Personal safety training, conflict management training and CCTV are some of the best ways of improving the personal safety of these professionals, who help and care and save lives. But sometimes even the best of training is just not good enough, and this is where stab vests become so useful."

"We are happy to provide all Ambulance Trusts with a free consultancy service. We are here to help others to come home safely after a day at work" says Robert Kaiser.

For further information please contact PPSS, by visiting their website www.ppss-group.com, email info ( @ ) ppss-group dot com or call +44 (0)845 5193 953

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