The City of Johannesburg has dismissed the alleged rumour of ‘shutdown’ of ambulance service to Cosmo City.
This comes after three crew members of the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) were attacked by the community. MMC for Public Safety Michael Sun said EMS personnel will be escorted should a call from suspicious location come.
“There is no ‘shutdown’ of ambulance service to Cosmo City or anywhere in the City. In light of the attack on the ambulance crew at Cosmo City, we are now screening calls coming from these hotspots,” said Sun.
“If the call is to attend to a volatile situation or suspicious caller that cannot give us a precise location or description of the emergency, we will deploy the necessary resources to be escorted by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and/or SAPS. Each call will be assessed individually accordingly to merits, type and level of emergency. We want to ensure both the safety of our residents and our EMS members.”
The MMC said the City will not risk the safety of the EMS members in favour of possible fake calls and volatile situations without police escort. He added that the Department of Public Safety has activated a contingency plan to deal with the attacks on its firefighters/ EMS and paramedics.
Some of the measures have already been in place over the past year;
- The Department has installed panic buttons in the City’s ambulances
- EMS members were provided with self-defence training and pepper spray as a preferred device to deter attackers
- JMPD to escort ambulances and fire engines to emergency calls from volatile areas and hotspots identified
- Emergency calls from identified hotspots will be screened to reduce fake calls where there is a suspicion of potential risk, and
- Engaging community leaders and elders to help to understand the challenges faced by firefighters/ EMS and paramedics and also to call on members of the community to desist from such attacks.
The City also dismissed allegations that it cares more about its ambulances than its firefighters/EMS and paramedics.
“It with regret that we note such unfounded allegation, such comment is not only unconstructive but reeks of opportunism. It is EMS’ legislative and moral mandate to attend and treat any injured person whether such person is a victim of a motor vehicle accident or suspect of a crime.”
Related article:
Joburg EMS withdraws services in Cosmo City until further notice following crew attacks
