On duty just after 6pm, these paramedics' shift is about to go bad

'I thought I was going to die': Alice Springs paramedics speak out about occupational violence Abbey Studley sits in the passenger seat of a kitted-out SUV as her colleague, Dave O'Toole, runs through potential scenarios with the intel they have on their comms screen. It's a little after 6pm on a Tuesday night and the Alice Springs intensive care paramedics have just begun their shift. They've received a simple call to assist a person experiencing a medical issue, but a recent spate of violence against frontline workers in the Central Australian town means the St John Ambulance crews never know what they will face when they're called out. Earlier this week, they invited the ABC to ride along with paramedics — and although everything is calm when they pick up their first patient, things change en route to the hospital. By the time they arrive at the ambulance bay at Alice Springs Hospital, the patient has become aggressive and attacks the paramedics, punching and spitting at them as they try to provide care. It's the 100th attack on Alice Springs ambulance staff for 2026, according to St John data, with the majority being physical assaults. With just three 24-hour crews and one intensive care unit staffed by 45 paramedics, there aren't many local St John staff members who haven't experienced violence. Abbey calls the police and the patient is arrested and taken to the watch house. "It makes me particularly disappointed and I'm angry that another one of my staff have been victims of violence," Abbey says. "There's never an excuse for violence … and what we've seen tonight is another example of our staff being victims of violence for no reason." The flow-on effects from occupational violence will mean people will be waiting longer for an ambulance. "We've now got three staff delivering statements to police currently, and as you can see behind me all three of our Alice Springs resources are currently at hospital handing over patients or providing statements to police," Abbey says. Abbey is no stranger to violence on the job. Two years ago, she was brutally attacked in the line of duty. 'I thought I was going to die' The attack occurred shortly before midnight in October 2024, just as Abbey finished her shift, when a man pulled her from her fast-response vehicle. "I thought I was going to die," she says. Abbey says she had time to activate a duress alarm before the perpetrator dragged her down the street by her arm. Much of that night is a blur due to the level of violence she experienced. "I've psychologically blocked a lot of that out and it's hard now for me to recall exactly what transpired," Abbey says. "I think in the police report, I said I got over 20 punches to the head. "I have blindness in my right eye and I have limited feeling in my left arm." She also sustained permanent injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. As a result, she spent two months in an acquired brain injury unit in Melbourne, and many more months seeking treatment to recover. "I was told by a number of specialists and doctors that I would never return to this career and that made me really devastated and really sad," she says. But 16 months later, Abbey returned to the community and the job she loves. "I feel so lucky and privileged to come to work every day and proud to wear this St John uniform and provide life-saving critical care and really high-level compassionate care to the community," she says. No one has ever been charged with Abbey's assault. "I think what's tough is knowing that there's still somebody that could be in the community or in the wider community who could perpetrate that level of violence again," she says. Following the assault on her colleagues on Tuesday, Abbey says her team will take their time to regroup and debrief. "They'll be given time to stand down and recoup, maybe have a cup of tea or a coffee and a break and a little check-in with each other," she says. "It's up to them whether or not they would like to keep working and that's obviously very individual. "Look, they're upset. This is a significant number of assaults now in this region since the start of this year." Searching for solutions Body-worn cameras and OC spray have been floated as measures to curb violence against paramedics across the Northern Territory. Last month, Alice Springs Member for Braitling Joshua Burgoyne revealed the NT government had been discussing the two measures with St John management. St John NT chief executive Abigail Trewin says although body-worn cameras pose some privacy challenges, the service is talking to staff about "who and where and how we would roll something like this out". She says they will also consult with staff about OC spray, although it came with potential problems. "We work in effectively a tin box — you're transporting a patient," she says. "It's not a lot of space, so discharging OC spray in that environment is probably not very sensible." NT Health Minister Steve Edgington says while no paramedics have approached him requesting OC spray for protection in their workplace, the government will consider it. "If that's something that St John believes will assist them in delivering their services and protecting and providing evidence of any assaults or threatening behaviour against them again, we will work with St John to look at what their needs are," he says. "They need to be protected. They need to be supported. "When they go to work they're there to help people. They shouldn't be threatened." A community partnership Last month, St John NT joined forces with Tangentyere Council, which manages Aboriginal town camps in Alice Springs. Ms Trewin says the partnership aims to create "safer, more positive interactions" between paramedics and Aboriginal patients in the town. "Providing the best emergency healthcare is more than clinical skills," she says. "It is also about trust, communication and understanding the communities we serve." She hopes the partnership will eventually lead to Indigenous liaison officers working with the ambulance service, although that will rely on funding. Tangentyere Council chief executive Walter Shaw says he hopes the memorandum of understanding will result in a safer work environment for Alice Springs paramedics. "We need to ensure that we put out a social safety net for our St John's Ambulance Service and also the residents of town camps in Alice Springs," he says. "I'd like to see young Aboriginal paramedics working within St John's itself." For Abbey, the partnership is some of the best preventative work she's ever seen. "It's about two-way learning, it's about sharing knowledge and it's about becoming part of the community," she says. Despite all that she's experienced on the job, she remains steadfast in her love of her work. "It's a real privilege to wear this uniform and it's a real privilege to serve this community," she says. "We're really grateful for community members for protecting us and keeping us safe whenever they can."