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SA Health raises awareness of violence directed at ambulance officers in new online campaign

South Australia Health is highlighting the rise in violent behaviour towards ambulance officers in a new campaign from Showpony Advertising.

The online campaign is filmed vertically on an iPhone and shows an ambo being attacked by a friend of a person he is treating. It ends with the tagline “I can’t fight for your mates life if I’m fighting for mine”.

Showpony group account director Greg Kavanah said: “Ambulance officers face high risk, especially as they are often the first responders to incidents involving violence, drugs and alcohol. In the last 3 years, there has been a 75 per cent increase in challenging behaviours exhibited towards ambos.”

Showpony creative director Parris Mesidis said: “Our objective was to raise awareness of the problem, particularly among young men who are most likely to be the perpetrators. We also wanted to create advocates for the better treatment of our ambos. Our creative strategy was simply to share the reality of what our ambos face.”

Mesidis said the scenario was set-up and real ambulance officers were used.

Since being posted to Facebook last week the video has been viewed 724,000 times.

South Australian health minister Jack Snelling said: “This new campaign emphasises that every interruption an ambo has to deal with prevents them from helping save someone’s life and that life might be yours.”

It is also running across print via venue ads (washroom posters) and across radio.

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