Vol. No. Vol. 2218No. 10 27
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Wednesday, January 13, 2016 Wednesday, September 4, 2019
ART AND HISTORY: Murtoa Stick Shed is set to take on a new life during Murtoa’s Big Weekend celebrations in October this year. Natimuk’s Dave Jones, pictured with an imposing sculpture taking pride of place inside the historic building, along with fellow artists Anthony Schellens and Jillian Pearce, are exploring the artistic possibilities for a new project show to transform the shed. A Family, Fun and Film Night will also be at the Stick Shed as part of Murtoa’s Big Weekend on October 4. Story, page 8. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Ambos support call H
BY DEAN LAWSON
orsham paramedics have joined a statewide appeal for community support to ensure authorities continue to work on making their workplace as safe as possible.
Despite feeling a mixture of anger, frustration and anxiety over the result of a court case involving the assault of a paramedic in Melbourne, they said they remained committed to ‘providing the best possible care for the community’. But they added they needed community sentiment to weigh in heavily to ensure they, as everyday people in the
community, could get home to their families after a day’s work. Horsham paramedic Kristy Kelly, speaking for a Horsham paramedic group and part of Wimmera ambulance response teams since 2006, said she was bound professionally to avoid commenting too openly about the court case. But she said communities needed to be aware of what paramedics were being exposed to, sometimes daily. “I feel compelled to speak on the view of at least the Horsham team because we all feel the same way,” she said. “For example, during my time in the job, I’ve been hit, slapped, spat on,
pushed and of course been subject to all sorts of verbal barrages. “I’ve been called every number of names under the sun – and this has all happened, not just in a faraway metropolitan setting, but in the Wimmera,” she said. “Unfortunately this is becoming more frequent, to a point where it is causing a lot of extra stress and pressure on top of what we deal with in our everyday lives. We can be pretty tough, but there comes a point where occupational violence shouldn’t be the normal part of the job.” Horsham paramedics were keen to make their point in response to a Melbourne Magistrate’s Court find-
ing involving a 22-year-old man who, while under the influence of drugs at Rainbow Serpent Festival at Lexton, attacked and seriously injured a paramedic. The man avoided a minimum sixmonth jail term despite the State Government introducing new laws involving attacks on emergency workers last year. The court instead handed the man an 18-month community corrections order and ordered him to undergo mandatory treatment. The finding last week drew immediate and angry criticism from the Victorian Ambulance Union and calls from various sources for the Director
of Public Prosecutions to appeal the sentence. Paramedics across Victoria meanwhile, have reflected their thoughts with comments chalked onto the windows of ambulances. Mrs Kelly said the government and Ambulance Victoria had worked hard in establishing new levels of protection because there was a need for emergency-service workers to believe the system had their back. She said paramedics responded to various circumstances with call-outs ranging from major road trauma to serious medical conditions and domestic violence. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • We Love Warracknabeal • Chance to shape national park • Football-netball finals
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