Paramedics also frequently find themselves on the firing line in the shootouts that are becoming more common in the city, where the risk of a bullet going astray is not zero. Winnipeg police do an excellent job of managing and staging these crises, and they frequently hold back emergency personnel until they believe the scene is secure. Police officers, however, do not accompany paramedics to every scene, including drug or alcohol overdoses that occur in private residences, which are frequently volatile and dangerous situations.

Other cities have already responded to the concerns of paramedics about personal safety by acquiring body armour, which does not have to be made compulsory. It's impossible to protect emergency response personnel -- firefighters, police officers and paramedics -- from every conceivable threat, but the city so far has not offered a compelling reason why paramedics should be denied a simple request.