St John Ambulance has revealed that over 4,000 false calls inundate the emergency hotline 111 daily, posing a significant threat to the efficiency of ambulance services.
This accumulates to a staggering 28,000 false calls in a week, obstructing genuine emergency calls from reaching the vital helpline.
The ramifications of these false alarms are not only wasting valuable resources but also putting lives at risk. Ambulance crews are frequently dispatched to fabricated emergencies, only to discover that the callers have misled authorities, diverting crucial attention away from authentic emergencies.
Disturbingly, the consequences have taken a violent turn, as a recent false call resulted in an attack on ambulance crew members, causing thousands of kina worth of damage to the emergency vehicle. This incident highlights the escalating mental trauma faced by ambulance officers and the daily stress endured by call takers responding to thousands of calls.
Compounding the issue is the absence of legislation to protect St John officers. Currently, there are no laws criminalizing false calls to the ambulance service, hindering ambulance officers from performing their duties or escalating the severity of attacks on ambulance personnel.
A proposed solution is on the horizon, with the upcoming St John Ambulance Bill slated for discussion in the next parliamentary sitting. The bill aims to introduce stringent legislation, including measures to track emergency calls and criminalize the act of making false calls to public emergency numbers like 111.
This pivotal step is poised to empower the ambulance service to proactively address the 4,000 daily fake calls, ensuring the protection of ambulance first responders and enabling them to focus on their life-saving mission.
The introduction of such legislation not only fills a critical gap in the legal framework but also promises to enhance the efficiency of emergency services by enabling the tracking of calls and swiftly identifying fake calls.
As the St John Ambulance Bill awaits parliamentary deliberation, the urgency for these protective measures is underscored by the daily challenges faced by ambulance service workers and the imperative to fortify their ability to save lives without unnecessary hindrance.