- 15/11/2013
- Posted by: Ken Skates MS
- Category: News
ASSEMBLY Member Ken Skates condemned thugs who obstruct firefighters and paramedics responding to life-threatening calls after revealing details of hundreds of attacks on emergency staff.
The Clwyd South Labour AM asked North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the Welsh Ambulance Service for information about physical and verbal abuse towards their frontline employees in the past three years under the Freedom of Information Act.
A total of 185 incidents were recorded across North Wales – all involving staff responding to 999 calls or on training exercises.
Mr Skates said: “It is unfathomable that people would behave in this way and obstruct firefighters and paramedics who regularly put themselves in danger to help others in life-threatening situations.
“Our courageous emergency responders do a fantastic job every day in extremely difficult conditions and there is no way they should have to put up with this kind of deplorable behaviour when they are carrying out their vital duties.”
The fire service said 18 of its 35 recorded incidents of physical and verbal attacks happened In Wrexham or Denbighshire.
Over the same period the Welsh Ambulance Service recorded 150 instances of abuse in North Wales – 38 of which resulted in injuries to staff. Across Wales there were 815 incidents, 219 of which led to injuries.
