Crime against paramedics and emergency services is a growing concern for local motorcycle club, Firefighters Joburg.<\/p>\n
Although the crimes against the first responders differ, the severity of the crimes does not.<\/p>
Jan Liebenberg, president of the motorcycle club, said while attempting to save a patient\u2019s life paramedics are robbed of medication and even raped.<\/p>\n
He said the rapes occur specifically when it is two female first responders on their own.<\/p>
Liebenberg added that there have been incidents where the Jaws of Life and hydraulic rescue tools have been stolen from fire stations.<\/p>\n
The Jaws of Life is then used in cash-in-transit heists.<\/p>\n
To create awareness about this concern, the motorcycle club together with director, Donald Zastron, recently came together in Modderfontein to kickstart an emergency services safety awareness campaign.<\/p>\n
The club and director filmed a commercial to bring the concern of safety of emergency services personnel to the public\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
The Bedfordview and Edenvale News, the GCN\u2019s sister newspaper, was granted access during the production day.<\/p>\n
Liebenberg said the commercial will focus on the safety challenges emergency services face when trying to save lives.<\/p>\n
He said that following the recent shooting of a paramedic in Pretoria, his concerns grew.<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle has been done to address the safety concerns of emergency services,\u201d said Liebenberg.<\/p>\n
Liebenberg said he\u2019s concerned that if nothing is done about first responders\u2019 safety, fewer emergency services personnel will come to scenes that need their attention.<\/p>\n