Police escorts could delay EMS response time

Following the withdrawal of emergency services in Cosmo City after attacks on paramedics, the City of Johannesburg has reinstated services with the added directive that paramedics will be escorted to certain areas by members of the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) or the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Speaking to The Star, member of the mayoral committee for public safety Michael Sun said: “If the call is to attend to a volatile situation or a suspicious caller who cannot give us a precise location or description of the emergency, we will deploy the necessary resources to be escorted by the JMPD and/or SAPS.”

According to Sun, each call will be assessed individually according to merit, type and level of emergency and emergency calls from these hot spots will be screened to reduce fake calls where there is a suspicion of potential risk.

On Monday, City of Joburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed that they were forced to withdraw ambulance services in the community of Cosmo City until further notice.

The suspension was due to an incident that took place early on Saturday in the area.

Mulaudzi wrote on his Twitter account: “Another attack to ambulance crews who were attending to an assault case in the area.”

Mulaudzi said their ambulance crew members managed to flee the area without the patient being harmed.

“We will not risk the safety of our EMS members in favour of possible fake calls and volatile situations without a police escort,” declared Sun.

As an added measure, panic buttons have been installed in the city’s ambulances; and EMS members have been provided with self-defence training and pepper spray as a preferred device to deter attackers.

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)

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