Dutch ambulances not equipped to deal with terrorist attack: unions

Ambulance workers in the Netherlands are concerned about not being prepared to deal with a terrorist attack, unions FNV and CNV Ambulance Care said to BNR. According to the unions, there are still no protocols in place to ensure the safety of ambulance workers while responding to an attack.

The unions call for a 'terrorism kit' for ambulance workers, to make sure they are safe and have what they need when the respond to the scene of an attack. "Staff must be able to do their work safely. Helmets and safety goggles are needed to first protect yourself well before you can do your job", Fred Seifert of FNV said to the broadcaster.

The kit should also include items like tourniquets, to stem serious bleeding in victims. In attacks abroad, ambulance workers often used their tourniquet to tie off an arm or leg on victims with severe wounds, according to the unions.

Ambulance Care Netherlands told the broadcaster that there is already a national agreement on how employees should deal with a terrorist attack. The details still need to be worked out, but it is on the schedule.