St John Response to IPCA investigation report

St John Response to IPCA investigation report on Police Response to the shooting of Navtej Singh

Attributable to Gary Salmon, St John Regional Operations Manager

St John has received a copy of IPCA investigation report on Police Response to the shooting of Navtej Singh in Manurewa, on 7 June 2008.

We agree with the findings and recommendations of the report that relate to the service that we provided. Our Operations Management Group will consider the recommendations to the Police that relate to St John and how we might work with Police to implement them in addition to the improvement actions we have already taken.

The three recommendations are:
- That Police review Police inter-operability with St John Ambulance and other emergency services, particularly in relation to management, transfer of critical information and post incident de briefings.

- That Police ensure that Police and Ambulance use the same Safe Forward Point (SFP) unless there are sound operational reasons for not doing so, and ensure that other emergency services are clearly informed of the location of any SFP.

That Police ensure that inter-agency debriefing takes place when more than one agency has been involved in a critical incident to enhance inter-operability between the agencies.

Our current procedure for management inter-operability has improved since 2008. St John initiated an Allied Emergency Services Group where Police, Fire, Ambulance and other representatives meet regularly to share information.

Our current procedure for transfer of critical information has significantly improved since 2008. We have boosted our Emergency Ambulance Communications Centre computer aided despatch system nationwide introducing technology that integrates our communications with Police and Fire.

This gives us better ability to share significant information and improves inter-operability at many levels.

This intercad system has won international recognition and New Zealand is the only country where nationally, all three primary emergency services interact electronically in real time.

This improvement gives us a real time window into what other agencies are saying and doing in relation to incidents we are both attending and establishes a base for more effective liaision with Police. It shows us such things as where Police have set up their Safe Forward Point ahead of a dangerous incident.

Our practise around safe forward points remains the same as in 2008: we still respond to the SFP set up by Police.

Currently our practise around debriefing when more than one agency has been involved in a critical incident is to participate in any formal debriefing called by the lead agency in an incident (generally Police, Fire or Civil Defence).

Although we were not called to any formal debrief about the 2008 incident, we actively participated in meetings and discussions with Police to review performance.

We have also thoroughly investigated this case during a formal internal review of our own. We are satisfied that we responded to the incident according to policy. Our communications calltakers and dispatchers managed this incident with great skill and professionalism and the ambulance crew deployment and actions at all times complied with our Standard Operating Procedures and Policy. When St John Advanced Paramedics assessed and treated the patient, they stabilised his condition and did all they could to get the best possible outcome for the patient, who died in hospital a day and a half later.
There have been lessons learned from this sad incident which has led to the improved inter-operability with Police that our operational and communications people are now working under We are confident that we are now better prepared should we be faced with similar situations in the future.

ENDS

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