Hennepin County paramedics and EMTs are facing threats and assaults daily.
Data shows there have been 241 threats and assaults against EMS crews so far this year compared to 121 for all of 2023, KSTP reported.
“I mean, we’re seeing these kind of events on a daily basis, whether it’s physical, verbal or threatening actions, every single day,” said Shane Hallow, president of the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs.
Martin Scheerer, EMS chief at Hennepin Healthcare, said his crews receive de-escalation and self-defense training. But, the increase in mental health and drug addiction, along with working sometimes at crime scenes, has made things, at times, unsafe for ambulance teams.
“Our teams have been really good and well trained in de-escalation, non-escalation and crisis management, but still sometimes we have to back out. And that’s the hard part, backing out sometimes and letting law enforcement take over,” said Scheerer.
When asked if he worried one of his crew members could be killed, Scheerer responded, “Oh, absolutely, every day. It keeps me up at night.”
