Keeping our paramedics safe 

Johannesburg – Monday, 8 March 2010 Peter Feurstein, Operations Director of Netcare 911 today confirmed that the safety of on duty paramedics remained a key concern and major focus area of South Africa’s largest emergency services provider. This comes in the wake of the news that two female paramedics had been sexually and physically assaulted on the weekend.

Commenting on the incident Feurstein said that the news of this occurrence came as a tremendous shock to the sector. “As a close-knit community we are deeply concerned about this incident and by the trauma that these two women were subjected to. Our hearts go out to them and their colleagues in the government emergency services at this difficult time.”

He added that paramedics are unfortunately extremely vulnerable and that Netcare 911 had therefore implemented a number of measures to ensure a greater degree of safety for its staff. “We do endeavour, were possible, to partner male and female paramedics. Apart from that our vehicles are fitted with panic buttons as well as impact sensors and real time tracking. However, the back up provided by our call centre operators, is perhaps the most valuable tool that we have in ensuring the safety and protection of our people.”

Feurstein explains that the call centre dispatcher is used to follow through and check on each and every vehicle – whether it has arrived safely, in the estimated time frame and if the scene is safe and secure. “However,” he added “at times like this we are once again reminded of the extreme vulnerability of the dedicated men and women who lay their lives on the line in the service of their communities each and every day. Netcare 911 will not make the mistake of assuming that our people will automatically be safe because of what we have put in place. We will keep applying our minds in order to find additional ways to further ensure the safety of our people.”

Issued by : Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare
Contact : Martina Nicholson
Telephone : (011) 469 3016
Email : martina@mnapr.co.za