The ambulance service last week launched its ``Hands Off'' campaign, warning people abuse and assaults on ambulance officers would not be tolerated and offenders could expect to be prosecuted.
The message follows almost 3000 instances of abuse targeting ambulance officers during the past year.
In Otago, there had been 160 instances of abuse during the past nine months. Of those, 44 were physical assaults.
St John Southland-Otago district operations manager Pauline Buchanan, herself a victim of abuse while on duty, said she believed the number of incidents was rising.
``It's alcohol and drug-fuelled rage,'' she said.
``It's getting worse. I don't think it's premeditated towards St John - it's happening to everyone that's involved - but I think it's occurring more frequently.''
The issue was particularly concentrated in Dunedin in the southern district, she said.
``The majority of it would be uncontrolled alcohol and drug use,'' she said.
``It would be more frequently in Dunedin than anywhere else.''
She acknowledged single-crewing of ambulances was not ideal considering the increasing frequency of abuse of St John staff, but the problem was concentrated in areas where professional paramedics worked in full-staffed crews. And despite that, the abuse continued.
Her own brush with abuse occurred about 10 years ago, but she still remembers it clearly.
``It was at a party at a private house,'' she said.
``My partner and I had to walk through some pretty angry people and we had to back out quickly and ask police to bring our patient to us.''
The party-goers verbally abused her and her partner, and made violent threats.
``It made me anxious at the time and fearful,'' she said.
``It's still with me. I can still see and hear what was happening.
``It certainly takes its toll.''
Staff within the southern region had recently been the victims of assault, she said.
``It makes them anxious about doing their job, but they still go out and do it,'' she said.
``I think it's unacceptable to say it's a hazard of the job.''
It is a point of view St John chief executive Peter Bradley agrees with.
``My ambulance officers have had enough,'' he said.
``We simply won't enter a dangerous scene; we will retreat and your mate or loved one won't get the treatment they need while our personal safety is at risk.''
In the past year, paramedics around the country had been hit, kicked, punched, spat at and verbally abused. In one case, a bow and arrow was pointed at a paramedic's head, while another had a knife held to him and told that if the seriously ill, unconscious patient died, so would he.
``Ambulance officers are caring, non-judgemental professionals there to help, but we ask the public to respect our profession,'' Mr Bradley said.
``Simply, ambulance officers can't save your life if they are trying to protect their own.''
