No-go zones: Paramedics call for police back-up for 10 dangerous addresses

The Police Association of NSW and the Health Services Union, which acts for ambulance crews, said workers were concerned about their own safety at some specific locations.

Police Association representative for Orange Adam Piffarelli said police received the back-up calls from crews on a daily basis.

He said most were in regard to patients suffering mental health problems potentially being violent or self-harming.

“Every day we will be assisting the ambulance officers with mental health-related calls for violent patients,” he said.

Mr Piffarelli said there were also calls for protection against people with a criminal history.

“We are aware of these individuals in these houses and their past histories,” he said.

“We have a duty of care for the ambulance officers. When we get the call we drop everything. If we’re not there helping them it can go worse.”

Mr Piffarelli said most of the addresses were in the Glenroi and Bowen areas of Orange.

“There would be about 10, off the top of my head.”

He said it highlighted the need for more police in Orange as it was another strain on officers’ time.

Craig Parsons, the acting president of the Central West sub-branch of the HSU, said ambulance crews had flagged several addresses in Orange with the NSW Ambulance service that required police back-up.

“A lot of flags are with domestic violence, mental health and drug and alcohol problems,” he said.

“There are some addresses in Orange, they’re are in all towns.”

Mr Parsons said the union was “pretty happy” with the response from the ambulance service to crews requesting assistance from police, however they were concerned about a shortage of staff that placed overworked crews in pressure situations.

Mr Parsons said he believed incidents of violence against ambulance crews were on the rise.

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“Anecdotally the number is going up and that’s across the state, not just Orange,” he said.

“And you don’t know how many people get yelled at or are getting spat at and don’t report it.”