VIDEO: There’s always a bit of an inherent risk as a first responder, and while deadly incidents in Kansas City don’t usually happen, local EMS workers say it’s not uncommon for first responders to get hurt while doing their job. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, each year, anywhere from 250 to 560 EMS workers are injured as a result of violence, with 77 percent of those incidents being from patients they are treating.
“I wish I could say that it is uncommon, but it’s not,” said Bob Patterson, EMS director, Mercy. “I think this very tragic incident in Kansas City over the weekend illustrates the inherent risks that some first responders face out there on the street every day.” Who was Graham Hoffman? ‘A genuine soul’ and ‘leader on and off the job’
Patterson said any time a person is hired as a paramedic with Mercy, they go through intensive training on how to de-escalate a situation and defend themselves if they’re attacked. And if they want, paramedics can be issued a protective vest as well.
“And unfortunately, we’ve had some, we’ve had a few that have been significantly injured,” said Patterson. “And unfortunately, there are numerous cases. Thankfully, most of them end up with our folks not being injured, but we’ve had a few injured along the way.”
