Paramedic Bec Thompson was inside a St John Ambulance last year when a frenzied assault left the crew locked inside their vehicle for nearly half an hour, unable to call for help beyond an emergency distress signal. The incident in Kalgoorlie has prompted St John Ambulance Western Australia to launch a new safety campaign, bringing workplace violence against healthcare workers into sharper focus.
The attack involved a 25-year-old man from Boulder who punched and banged his head on the windscreen numerous times, causing significant damage to the vehicle. The crew locked themselves in and requested police assistance, which arrived 22 minutes later. According to St John WA, no one was physically injured, but incidents like this leave a lasting emotional impact on staff.
Police say the man has been charged with several offences and may have a history of mental-health issues. The man is now in a coma at Fiona Stanley Hospital following the incident.
The response time has drawn scrutiny. A police commander acknowledged it took 22 minutes to reach the ambulance from the time the initial call came for assistance, though it was a hectic day in the Goldfields, with multiple high-priority calls competing for attention.
Thompson's decision to speak publicly about the attack reflects a broader concern across Australian emergency services. Violence against paramedics remains an occupational hazard that extends beyond Kalgoorlie. St John Ambulance Western Australia covers the largest area in the world for a single ambulance service, operating across vast regional and remote terrain where response times can be stretched and crews often work in isolation.
The safety campaign launched by St John signals recognition that workplace violence is not merely an exceptional hazard to be endured, but a systemic risk requiring institutional response. Paramedics in rural areas face particular vulnerability, given their isolation and exposure to individuals in crisis. Yet funding constraints and staffing pressures mean many regional ambulance services operate with limited capacity for enhanced security measures.
For paramedics like Thompson, speaking publicly about traumatic incidents serves a practical purpose: drawing attention to occupational risks that are often invisible to the public and underaddressed by policymakers. St John relies on a combination of volunteer ambulance officers, community paramedics, and paid paramedics to respond to emergencies across vast distances, a staffing model that places considerable strain on individual workers.
Police work closely with St John ambulance not only in Kalgoorlie but across the state, with officers attempting to respond as soon as possible to calls for assistance. However, coordination between emergency services remains a persistent challenge in rural WA, where multiple urgent calls often compete for limited police resources.
The incident raises fundamental questions about the adequacy of support systems for paramedics, both in the immediate aftermath of trauma and in the longer term. While no one was physically injured in the Kalgoorlie attack, the emotional toll on the crew is real and lasting. St John's new safety campaign will need to address not only preventive measures and rapid response protocols, but also meaningful psychological support and accountability when incidents occur.
For regional emergency services across Australia, the case illustrates the urgency of moving beyond sympathy and symbolic recognition toward concrete investment in worker safety, faster emergency response capabilities, and mental health support systems designed specifically for trauma exposure in isolated settings.