** Australian medics in Northern Territory start industrial action over bullying
** North Carolina woman charged after allegedly stealing ambulance, leading police on high speed chase
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** Northern Territory medics are apparently protesting bullying on the part of their managers. ABC (Rob Herrick/Felicity James/February 17) said practitioners have begun unspecified industrial action to complain about racist and sexist jokes, verbal abuse, physcial intimidation and even assaults. United Voice delegate Dan Falzon said St. John Ambulance Service brass remain apathetic about the problems with a particular group of managers. Minister for Public Employment John Elferink, meanwhile, was quoted as being dismissive last week of yet another complaint involving the use of sending prehospital students to emergencies. Elferink said providers are only raising the issue to obtain higher wages. He also said as long as the ambulance service did its job, his office did not care how resources were used to accomplish it.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A North Carolina woman has been hit with several charges after stealing a Hendersonville ambulance from outside an emergency room Monday and leading police on a high speed chase. The Hendersonville Lightning (Bill Moss/February 17) said Stephanie Mae Erwin, 33, has been tagged with theft of a motor vehicle, driving while impaired, misdemeanor larceny, damage to property, and fleeing police to elude arrest. Erwin, who had originally been transported to hospital for drug overdose treatment, allegedly made off with the EMS unit around 1:14 a.m. Fleeing for several miles, she was eventually apprehended after police employed stop sticks and broke the ambulance window to access her. No one was injured in the incident.
