The stabbing of an emergency medical technician is an unusual level of violence to be directed at an EMT, but the Jersey City Medical Center Director of Emergency Medical Services Robert Luckritz says some EMTs accept it as part of the job.

?It is relatively common that EMTs are assaulted and it is a significant issue,? Luckritz said. ?One thing we are looking into is the level of reporting because it happens so often, (EMTs) become relatively complacent.?

The EMS director said a national study conducted in 2005 found that 62 percent of EMTs are injured by patients during their careers.

Luckritz said EMTs wait for police when responding to any type of assault, including stabbings and shootings, as well as when a person with behavioral health issues is involved. In such cases, an officer may ride along in the ambulance.
But ?very often it is a situation in which you would least expect violence to occur,? said Luckritz. ?One of the most important things that we learn in EMS is that any situation has a potential to escalate. Our crews go into many potentially dangerous situation and unlike our first responders, our crews are unarmed and go in with a much smaller force.?

At 6:45 p.m. Friday an ambulance was dispatched to 15 Bayside Pl., on a call of an assault and they found an intoxicated Anthony Raysor, 50, of Bayside Place, who was suffering from minor injuries, Luckritz said.

Once in the ambulance, Raysor became agitated and allegedly took out a knife and thrust it at the EMT, who managed to pull away and suffered a minor injury to his abdomen, Luckritz said. Raysor then allegedly stabbed the EMT in the shoulder, leaving the knife embedded there as the ambulance pulled over on Communipaw Avenue and a responding police officer handcuffed Raysor, Luckritz said.

The knife was removed from the EMT's shoulder at the Medical Center and the nonlife-threatening wound was treated, Luckritz said, adding that Raysor was evaluated and released into police custody.

Mickey McCabe, of McCabe Ambulance Service in Bayonne, said his EMTs are not exposed to the level of violence seen in Jersey City, but there are tense incidents nonetheless. Their motto is ?Stay alert. Stay alive.?

One situation that can turn violent is when a person suffering a heroin overdose is given medication to reverse the drug?s effect. ?You better be prepared to defend yourself because you have just taken them out of a great high and the money they spent on the heroin is wasted,? McCabe said.

McCabe also said that sometimes a dispute that appears to be over can erupt again after a patient if placed in the ambulance and ?someone jumps in to finish the attack. These are very sensitive issues.?

?When you get in close confines such as that, it?s just you and that person and the danger always exist,? McCabe said. ?These guys and women out there as EMTs are putting their lives on the line every day.?

The first report (post) suggested that EMT was responding due to an assualt victim needing attention - Sounds like the 911 operator failed the EMT by not also having police attend; you can't have an assualt victim without a crime being committed that would immediately initiate a police response - Why was only EMT sent?

An intoxicated 50-year-old Jersey City man was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 34-year-old emergency medical technician while being taken to Jersey City Medical Center Friday evening, police reports said.

Anthony Raysor, of Bayside Place, in Jersey City was charged with aggravated assault on an emergency first aider, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of weapons and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, reports said.

Police were called to the Jersey City Medical Center at Bramhall Avenue and Grand Street on the report of a stabbing where an EMT in an ambulance was treating a co-worker who had the handle of a knife sticking out of his right shoulder, reports said.

Raysor, who had stabbed the EMT on the way to the medical center, had been picked up from his home on Bayside Place because he was intoxicated, reports said. On the way to hospital the removed his seat belt and stabbed the emergency medical technician, reports said.

Raysor was slumped over on his left side on the ambulance bench when police arrived. A police officer handcuffed Raysor's right arm, but the intoxicated man began resisting arrest by flailing his left arm before lying on it, reports said.

The officer tried to force the Raysor to release his left arm from his body by striking his rib cage and was able to get the second cuff on with the help of the second officer, reports said.

Raysor, who was found to have two open warrants from the Hudson County Sheriff's Office, was treated for intoxication at JCMC and placed in police custody, reports said.

The victim was treated for a non-life threatening stab wound and released about 10 p.m. the same evening, said Jersey City Medical Center spokesman Mark Rabson.

Raysor was also treated at the medical center for intoxication before being taken into custody.

Drug, alcohol or mental health issue with patient - Regardless the Medic should be compensated and an investigation should be started to find a way to mitigate this issue - Either with restraints or police presense in the ambulance.
If it was an assault pick-up, maybe Police should have a policy of checking every patient before they are cleared to enter an ambulance.

A Jersey City Medical Center EMT was slashed in the stomach and shoulder by an assault victim at about 7 p.m. tonight, Rob Luckritz, director of EMS at the JCMC said.

An EMT crew and police responded to an assault at 15 Bayside Ave. in Jersey City at 6:45 p.m. The assault victim, 50, was being transported to the Medical Center when he became agitated, pulled out a knife and slashed the 34-year-old EMT, whose name was not released.

The ambulance was at the corner of Communipaw Avenue and Grand Street when the EMT was attacked. Police were called at 7:15 p.m., Luckritz said.

"En route to the hospital, the victim became agitated," he said. "He drew a knife on the EMT. They were able to restrain him until police arrived."

The EMT, whose injuries are not considered life-threatening, is being treated at the hospital and is in stable condition, Luckritz said.

"This is not something that happens on a regular basis, but our EMTs and paramedics are in potentially dangerous situations every day," Luckritz said. "We're very thankful that our colleague is safe."

The assault victim was treated at the Jersey City Medical Center. It could not be determined last night if he was charged in the attack on the EMT, but a hospital official said the man was being taken into police custody.

From the jersey journal