VANDALS who smashed the windscreen of a First Responder vehicle could have cost lives.
That was the warning from Dave Rudderham, 36, whose emergency vehicle was badly damaged after vandals put a brick through his windscreen in Cromwell Road, Grimsby.
It meant that Dave, who works as a community first responder for East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), was unable to respond to call-outs for three days while the windowscreen was being replaced.
Dave, who lives in Louth, said in a job where time is vital, an attack like this could have cost lives.
He said: "My opinion of these people is they are waste of space and the oxygen they steal could be put to better use.
"A brick was put through my windscreen in what can only be described as an act of blatant and pointless vandalism.
"Winter is our busiest time and this attack has put myself and my vehicle out of action.
"This could have cost lives because if someone was to have a heart attack around the corner from me, they would have to wait for the ambulance, and with something like a heart attack, every second counts."
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The timing of the vandalism – between 1am and 8.50am on Sunday – couldn't have been any worse for the First Responder team, whose vehicles are all-weather and will likely be called out to more and more incidents in the current cold and snowy weather.
Dave, who is a bus driver by day, is a volunteer responder for the Lincolnshire Community Assistance Team (LCAT)
He added: "LCAT formed a Community First Response team to respond in all weathers at the request of EMAS.
"It meant a 4x4 designed to handle snow, deep water and remote locations was unable to respond to a call-out."
Steve Pratten, operational support manager at EMAS, could not hide his disappointment after hearing the news.
"I am very disappointed with this mindless act of vandalism," he said.
"It is a vehicle that responds to life-threatening scenarios as a community responder, but it was forced off the road which could have put lives at risk.
"It is very disappointing to see acts like this. First Responders perform a vital role within the community and, in many cases, they are often the first at the scene before an ambulance arrives."
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: "We had a report of criminal damage to a vehicle parked close to a property in Cromwell Road, Grimsby. The vehicle, a black Cherokee Jeep, had the front windscreen shattered – it is thought by an object being thrown at it between 1am and 8.50am on Sunday.
"Anyone with information is requested to call police on 101 quoting crime reference number AA/2093563/2015."
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