Police back specialist paramedics but can't pay for them

Police say they are not in a position to fund specialist ambulance paramedics but support their development.

Hato Hone St John Ambulance is considering cutting its three specialist emergency response teams or SERTs in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch due to a lack of funding.

It was on track to cut them by 20 December [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/2355310/st-john-will-delay-shut-down-of-specialist-paramedic-team-who-help-police-and-firefighters

but hit pause on Thursday after RNZ revealed the move].

"Hato Hone St John has decided to delay its decision to stop SERT operations as it has come to our attention today [Thursday] that we need to do more to ensure some of our emergency services colleagues understand the changes ... and what they mean for our partners," deputy chief executive Dan Ohs told RNZ.

"We've decided to pause implementation to allow time for further engagement with our partners, to clarify the changes, and make sure any concerns are properly understood and addressed before proceeding."

Firefighters say cutting SERTs would expose their crews and the public to greater risk. Auckland CRL rail emergency plans call for the specialist paramedics to go into the tunnels with firefighters. They help down cliffs on ropes rescues.

Yet Ohs said, "We expect the change to have little or no impact on the services we provide to Fire and Emergency New Zealand."

Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said they were proud of their strong relationship with St John.

"We support their desire to build SERT capability within a national framework," Johnson said.

"While NZ Police is not in a position to provide funding, we do support the ongoing training and development of our staff together with that of HHStJ and see this as a necessary evolution of the valuable medical support provided to our communities to improving patient outcomes in high-threat incidents."

However, St John told Fire and Emergency earlier this week by email that their efforts to set up "a more sustainable and nationally consistent specialist ambulance response model" had not worked.

St John asked Health New Zealand for funding but HNZ turned that down, telling RNZ the reason was this was not a service it has funded before.

On Thursday the government announced $258 million funding for St John under a four-year deal it expected would lead to 220 extra frontline staff being employed.

As for any of the money going on SERT, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello's office said that was an operational question and not for her.

St John declined interview requests from RNZ.

It has been at pains to say ambulance would still support police at high-risk incidents, and that its other specialist hazardous substances (HAZMAT) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) functions were continuing.