Firefighters say they face increasing rates of violence while on duty
HALIFAX — Firefighters say they are facing increasing levels of violence on duty, and they’re asking the federal government to step up legislation.
Oh, that's awful you say, these guys are trying hard to fight fires, but instead are attacked! Then of course you read it's all the usual suspects.
"We had a Toronto firefighter bitten by a patient,” Kelly said in an interview last month. “In Winnipeg, we’ve seen a severe rise; we’ve had 58 reported incidents in Winnipeg this year alone.”
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Quillian said the unhoused population in Moncton has grown larger in recent years, and several people have found shelter in wooded areas around the city.
“Sometimes we’re going into the woods for a bonfire complaint or a sighting of smoke, and we’ll startle them. They can get verbally aggressive with us. And when we’re out on these calls we do notice that they have weapons to protect themselves,” Quillian said.
Quillian said violent incidents are common during medical calls as well, especially in overdose situations. “When we wake the patient up, they can be verbally or physically aggressive towards us.”
Edited by Victoria Watcher, Yesterday, 02:13 AM.