Paramedics in the NSW Ambulance zone taking in Dubbo are frustrated at being called out to a hoax every couple of months including a bomb scare at a gym in the city this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW Ambulance Central and Far West Zone manager, Superintendent Stewart Clarke, said the anecdotal rate of hoaxes in the zone depleted resources and could jeopardise genuine medical emergencies.
He is asking perpetrators of all kinds of hoaxes to consider the possible consequences of their actions.
"While at the time they may think engaging in this type of behaviour might be funny, it is taking an ambulance and a highly-skilled paramedic crew off the road when they are there to deal with genuine medical emergencies," Superintendent Clarke said.
"Somebody's life could be at stake because of their behaviour."
READ ALSO:
Three ambulances and five paramedics were deployed to Fitness Focus in Jannali Road on Tuesday morning along with officers of NSW Police and Fire and Rescue NSW.
Superintendent Clarke said the paramedics were at the site for about an hour.
"If we are attending hoax calls it does deplete our available resources and potentially the next triple zero call could be life-threatening," he said.
If we are attending hoax calls it does deplete our available resources and potentially the next triple zero call could be life-threatening.
- NSW Ambulance Central and Far West Zone manager, Superintendent Stewart Clarke
"While they will always get an ambulance, they might not get the closest ambulance because the closest ambulance is tied up at a hoax call."
Superintendent Clarke said other hoax calls included false reports of medical emergencies where "paramedics turn up and there is no one to be found".
He said there was "more potential" for hoax calls during school holidays.
The manager of the zone, stretching from Wellington up to Cameron Corner and down to Wentworth, said hoax calls were "frustrating for our people" because their focus was on patients.
