A disturbing trend facing medical officials is now being seen by those who protect us from a literal force of nature.
It’s no secret that acts of violence have been rising in hospitals, and a new survey shows that Firefighters are now increasingly a target for aggressive and violent behaviour.
The International Association of Fire Fighters says in a survey of 117 fire departments in Canada, 40 per cent of firefighters reported facing an assault in the last five years.
The stats are similar in the U-S, and the president of the Canadian association says they believe it may be higher as incidents of violence may be under-reported.
To me, these numbers are baffling. While admittedly, people see firefighters during the most stressful of events imaginable, they are always there to help save lives and protect people and property.
There is no excuse for meeting their professionalism, heroism and life-saving efforts with anything less than gratitude. The last thing anyone should feel towards them is anger.
These are the people who are cutting victims out of crashed vehicles, attempting to delivering lifesaving first aid or narcotics intervention, and also battling infernos everywhere from the countryside to your very own home.
So, on behalf of those of us who know better, let me say “thank you” to all of our professional and volunteer firefighters.
It saddens me that the greatest danger you face some days may be from a person and not the fire you are supposed to be fighting.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines
