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Concerns of violence won’t stop front-line response to Vancouver homeless camps

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — It won’t stop them from doing their jobs, but front-line workers on emergency calls say they are concerned about violent incidents surrounding Vancouver homeless encampments.

Paramedics responding to areas like the Strathcona Park encampment say they are likely to be more vigilant when heading into the neighbourhood for calls.

Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers of BC, says violent incidents like Sunday’s arrest of someone chasing people near Strathcona with a chainsaw, adds to the anxiety of front-line responders.

“We’ve had a number of situations where violence involved paramedics and front-line safety. We always have to be aware of it. The pressures definitely affect our members’ mental health on the street,” he says.

“We’re all aware of the weapons that have infiltrated some of the areas. That’s unfortunate, some of these people are just trying to survive. We’re trying to do our best to help them in their time of need.”

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He notes risk assessment is entrenched in front-line worker training, but there is a process of identifying the risk of violence before heading to a location.

“It may just put a flag on it when you’re going into a residence you want to, based on history, be extra diligent, or we may need to involve, for a safety perspective, support from law enforcement,” he explains, adding there’s also immediate intervention when a front-line worker would back away from a situation and wait for more support.

Clifford says he’s not aware of the Strathcona area being “red-flagged” at this point for any increased risk for first-responders.

On Tuesday, protestors demanded action to find a solution to what some in the Strathcona neighbourhood call a growing homeless problem.

However, people living in the park’s encampment and their supporters question the intentions of those demonstrators, saying they want to dismantle the encampment rather than find housing solutions.

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