Security at the Hospital then? More police in those areas?.. Not something Volunteer firefighters should be attendind. (In my opinion)..
Hospital security? At Gumeracha hospital?
Have you ever been there? It is a quiet, low to medium care hospital. Generally no Doctor there after hours, unless called. No "Emergency" Department as such....although the local doctor can be called, and may attend, if required....
Gumeracha Police - meant to be a two person station - but for a number of reasons, only one currently there. I can't see another one being placed there, due to large shortages within the LSA (eg currently 29 patrol vacancies in the LSA)
While most agree that CFS shouldn't be attending this type of call, we are going solely on what is listed on the pager message...without knowing the actual circumstances.
Would you know that the person being aggressive calms down the moment they see a CFS uniform? Would you know that the nurse at the hospital, facing the aggressive patient, happens to be the wife of a CFS member, and called hubby to get some help, so hubby called the rest of the brigade for backup?
While it is simple to say "Don't go" how would you feel if it was your relative being threatened, and we all decided not to go?
And as for use excessive force - Chook, I'd suggest you check out the changes to self defence laws, and use of force. Restraining a person who has been "going off" - perhaps in the sort of circumstances we are discussing, is not excessive force - even if all 6 of the crew were hanging on to the one individual, and keeping him/ her pinned to the floor.
And as for snake catching - there has already been at least one brigade who was regularly called to assist in removing snakes from houses in their township (especially since this town was experiencing a large increase in snake numbers at the time)
Pip
