Concerns about violence against ambulance staff have risen in major cities, but the Vårdförbundet union rejects bulletproof vests as a solution. The union calls them a false sense of security and demands an end to single-person shifts along with better police support. A recent attack in Hälsingland has heightened fears among workers.
Ambulance nurses in metropolitan areas are experiencing heightened concerns about violence and dangerous situations, according to the Vårdförbundet union. The union states that an incident in Harmånger, Hälsingland, at the end of September—where an ambulance worker was killed and assaulted during a callout—has shaken the industry. This is particularly true in areas with frequent shootings, explosions, and grenades.
Jani Stjernström, vice chair of Vårdförbundet and an ambulance nurse herself, criticizes proposals for bulletproof vests that have been raised in some regions. In Västra Götaland, staff are purchasing their own vests, as reported by P4 Göteborg recently. But Stjernström warns: “It creates a false sense of security. The risk is that people then believe they can enter dangerous situations and handle them. But the vest doesn't protect against a blow to the head or a knife in the lower abdomen.”
Instead, the union wants regions to take greater responsibility. They demand an end to single-person shifts in ambulances and that staff always have police presence during threats, violence, or with outwardly aggressive mentally ill patients. Additionally, they propose access to patient records to identify patterns of violent behavior, and a legal change to flag high-risk addresses.
Stjernström expresses understanding for the fear: “Our colleagues in the big cities, where there are many shootings, explosions, grenades in doorways, and so on—they have anxiety and fear there.” The union fears that self-purchased vests could lead employers to neglect essential measures.