Close call at Kelowna ambulance station highlights safety concerns – Okanagan [Video]

A frightening incident at a downtown Kelowna ambulance station has the union representing paramedics calling for immediate safety improvements.

“We don’t want it to take a paramedic dying for change to happen,” said Ian Tait, communications director for the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.

Early Tuesday morning, a paramedic was washing an ambulance in the station’s garage bay on Lawrence Avenue when he suddenly came face to face with a knife-wielding woman screaming and allegedly uttering threats.

“The assailant popped out from behind the ambulance brandishing like a four-inch hunting knife with,  like an edged tip on it,” Tait said.

According to Tait, the suspect took at least two swipes at the paramedic with the knife

“Luckily the paramedic had the wash broom. It’s like a broomstick with a bristled brush on the end, and kind of used it in between,” Tait said.

The paramedic was able to de-escalate the situation and the suspect eventually took off.

RCMP …