00:00Luke Harrington was about to clock off like any ordinary shift when a stranger confronted him.
00:08He was swearing at us, very threatening in nature.
00:12I didn't know if he had a weapon or not, so I didn't want to take my eyes off him.
00:15Cornered by a parked car, his options were limited.
00:18He got right up to my face and spat on my neck, but I managed to get in the car and secure the vehicle.
00:25Incidents like this have become too common, with an alarming spike in violence against paramedics this festive season.
00:33In a three-day period over Christmas, Ambulance Victoria recorded ten serious incidents.
00:39The female paramedic being touched multiple times inappropriately.
00:43We had a crew that were punched in the chest numerous times whilst trying to look after a patient in the back of the ambulance.
00:49I've physically had my wrists broken. I've been spat on, kicked, punched multiple times throughout my career.
00:54But I've never seen it as bad as it is now in regards to the severity of assaults taking place.
01:00In the year to September, almost three and a half thousand assaults against emergency service workers were recorded.
01:06The highest rate in the last four years.
01:09Assaulting an emergency service worker is a criminal offence and carries a mandatory jail term.
01:15Ambulance Victoria encourages its paramedics to report any incident, but it's pleading with the community to stop the violence.
01:23Enough is enough. This is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it.
01:27We don't get into the job to be assaulted. It's sad. It's distressing. And for some people, it's career ending.
01:36We don't have security. We don't have protective equipment.
01:40And until the police get there, it's really just a matter of de-escalating and luck.
01:45And for some people, it's excitement. And luck.
01:47And luck.
01:48And luck.
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