Ambulance staff are facing increasing threats and violence, including sexual assaults while working, according to comments at Parliament today.
The comments were made in the Justice select committee this morning, which heard a submission on a petition calling for law changes that would automatically decline parole eligibility to offenders convicted of murdering police officers.
The petition was started by Diane Hunt, the mother of Constable Matthew Hunt, who was was murdered while on the job in 2020.
The committee heard Wellington Free Ambulance's submission, delivered by operations general manager Eric Tibbott and acting head of ambulance operations Francis Denton.
The two acknowledged the significance of Hunt's petition and the loss of her son Matthew.
Their submission was supportive but said non-parole should extend to all first responders and be expanded to include convictions for serious violence.
Tibbott said the difference between life or death sometimes came down to how quickly someone was attended to, rather than the severity of the violence, and could often result in disability or an inability to continue in the job.
He said there wasn't evidence to suggest the harsher penalty would deter would-be offenders, but it would show support to frontline staff.
"It shows that we as as nation care, and that we don't tolerate violence towards emergency services.
"We expect our emergency services to run to danger, while the rest of us have got an opportunity to run away. It's all about protecting the protectors."
Wellington Free Ambulance had more than 400 staff, 300 of which were on the frontline.
"What we're seeing across the board is violence against service workers."
He said from January 2021 to January 2023 there were 124 reported instances of physical and verbal abuse against staff.
"A third of our workforce in two years have experienced violence of some sort."
Sinister turn
Justice select committee member, National's Mark Mitchell, said he "fully, completely" supported the submission.
"All of our first responders are put in the firing line... I meet regularly with... St John's and it's not just your officers being assaulted, but there's been this really sinister turn where young female ambulance officers seem to be targeted with sexual assaults as well."
He said it was important to send a message it was "hands off" first responders and there would be serious repercussions if a person assaulted them.
Act's Nicole McKee expressed concerns that the abuse endured could deter paramedic recruitment and retention.
Denton said it could have an impact but there was also a lot of "joy and reward" from the job.
Tibbott said staff also received training to help them deal with issues.
More abuse and violence
Speaking to 1News outside the meeting, Denton said staff faced more abuse and more violence than they had "two years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago".
Tibbott believed it was a "social change".
"We're seeing more and more people feeling that they can assault the dairy worker, be abusive to the staff in The Warehouse, even on airlines.
"We're an organisation that are there to care for people... you wouldn't expect that."
Tibbott, who had worked for Wellington Free Ambulance for eight months, said he was "shocked by the level of threats and violence towards ambulance staff".
He said alcohol and mental health were contributing factors sometimes.
Denton confirmed Wellington Free Ambulance staff had also experienced sexual assaults while on the job.
He said his workforce was about 66% women - "that we really do need to look after".
The Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora and St John have been approached for comment.
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