An experienced paramedic has raised concerns about communication, and delays at the scene of the mass Bondi Junction stabbing last year - even after the attacker had been fatally shot.
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00:00Well today the inquest has heard from critical care paramedic Christopher Wilkinson who has
00:07more than 40 years of experience with New South Wales ambulance and when he was called to Bondi
00:12Junction Westfield in April last year this was not the first time that he had responded to a
00:18mass casualty event. He said he arrived at the scene shortly after 4pm and immediately after
00:24stepping out of his ambulance he was tapped on the shoulder by a local doctor who he said was
00:28covered in blood at the time and asking for assistance in treating a patient who he feared
00:33may be about to die. He was also told by another paramedic at the scene that a baby had been
00:38seriously injured in this attack. After organising some assistance for those patients he said he was
00:45part of a team which helped set up a triage and transport system outside of the shopping centre
00:50who's impressed by the organisation of the paramedics who were there on scene with their
00:55stretches out and equipment on their stretches ready to go and treat patients as quickly as
01:00they could. So Mr Wilkinson said that he felt frustrated and inadequate on the day. Why did
01:08you say that? That's right despite feeling impressed by the organisation of the paramedics he was
01:14incredibly frustrated and even a man of his experience, 42 years of experience, felt inadequate
01:20like he couldn't do his job because many of those paramedics were not allowed in the shopping centre
01:26for an extended period of time and that's because the inquest has heard it was declared a hot zone
01:31for paramedics and that's due to fears that there possibly could have been a second offender inside
01:36the shopping centre. We later found out of course that Joel Couchy was a lone knifeman and at that time
01:43he had already been shot dead by Police Inspector Amy Scott but that was not information that was being
01:49passed on to NSW Ambulance. So Mr Wilkinson said he felt frustrated left outside of the centre and
01:56unable to treat those patients and that really came to a boiling point for him when the first patient
02:01came out and he treated that person. That person was Faraz Tahir, it was this Westfield security guard
02:08who was one of six people killed in that stabbing attack. He said they did everything they could to try
02:14and save him but he couldn't be revived and when he saw a patient come out and die right in front of him
02:20he knew there would be more inside of the shopping centre who required critical care and he said it's
02:26not good enough despite the risk to paramedics that possibly could have been there that they wouldn't
02:32be allowed in and proposed for a different set of options to be guided in by NSW Police and quickly
02:39bring out those patients who so desperately needed care. He admits that it was incredibly risky
02:44situation and there was a lot of unknowns and today the rest of the day will probably will be spent
02:51exploring the communication avenues that possibly could be improved to make sure this kind of thing
02:56doesn't happen again, Roz.