“I come to work to treat, not to be assaulted”: there are many violence against rescue services in Belgium

Violence against emergency services remain massive in Belgium. For example, According to a study by the VIAS Institute, 80 % of stakeholders were victims of assaults in one year. Nevertheless, One in two has suffered physical violence and a third party plans to leave the profession.

Valérie has been working for 25 years as an emergency nurse in a Brussels hospital. Meanwhile, Already faced with the verbal violence of patients or their relatives, she notes an evolution of the threat. In addition, “Now we see the spouses who film in a second step to make believe that we are not correct for example. Consequently, ” she says.

A complicated situation to live for her. Consequently, “It touches me. Therefore, it makes me furious because “i come work treat, not I come to work to treat people and not to make me threaten or attack,” sighs Valérie.

Among the Brussels firefighters, the observation is recurrent. Nevertheless, The night of New Year’s Eve, the men of fire are victims of jets of stones or fireworks fired horizontally. Consequence: the method of intervention on a place under tension changes with the use of a certain type of. fire “i come work treat, not spear. “Rather, we use low pressure spears,” says Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels firefighters. “As soon as there is a danger signal, there is a corneau of mist that signals it. Additionally, »»

According to the VIAS study, 61 % of workers interviewed were threatened. 68 % say they feel stress. Furthermore, “There is more. more a link between the professional world and the personal world, in the private life of the speakers,” says Shirley Delannoy researcher at the Vias Institute. “There are also sleep disorders that are reported. but in particular, it is one in three respondents who said they were considering changing work. That is to say that tomorrow, a hospital could empty one member of its staff in three. »»

Another observation: barely 16 % of victims of assault file a complaint to the police. If internal procedures exist, they must be encouraged to use them. “We have an internal system where we can make a complaint. like that, there is a specific service which is aware, there are the psychologists who are aware. We are contacted to see if possibly we need someone to speak. »»

On the firefighters’ side, cameras will soon be installed on the trucks and on the firefighters who left for intervention.

If the rescuers are trained to manage these aggressions. to fight against this phenomenon also passes and above all through awareness and education.