Union: ambulance crews should be protected as hazardous occupations, following the attack in Cluj

The National Trade Union Federation "Ambulanța" of Romania has issued an appeal to the authorities for better protection of medical crews, after a crew from the Cluj County Ambulance Service was attacked during an emergency call with bats, axes, and stones.

Union representatives say this incident exposes a vulnerability that has long been known to those working in the field, in pre-hospital care. As a result, the federation is calling for public ambulance services to be placed in Category I of particularly hazardous working conditions.

"The attack on the crew of the Cluj County Ambulance Service compels us to take seriously a reality that pre-hospital ambulance crews have been aware of for a long time," the federation's statement reads.

What risks ambulance crews face

According to the union, emergency calls take place in the most varied and unpredictable settings – on the street, in homes, in public spaces, or in hard-to-reach locations. Medical personnel may encounter, among other things, episodes of violence, hazardous substances, fires, electrocution, or extreme weather events.

"A crew responds to every call with a single certainty: they must help. However, they do not always know under what conditions they will have to do so," the federation states.

In addition to these dangers, ambulance staff are also exposed to biological and road-safety risks. They must make rapid medical decisions and frequently face traumatic situations – suffering, accidents, or even death.

"These risks do not occur in isolation. They can accumulate and act simultaneously. And it is the ambulance crew that arrives directly in the midst of this reality," the union representatives further note.

What the union is demanding

The federation maintains that pre-hospital work must be properly assessed and appropriately recognised in legislation governing working conditions. The specific demand is for the authorities to enhance staff safety and to classify public ambulance services under Category I of particularly hazardous conditions – a classification that reflects all the risks to which crews are exposed during emergency calls.

"Today it was a crew from Cluj. Tomorrow it could be any ambulance crew in Romania," the trade union federation warns.