COVID-19 compliance and welfare checks by NSW Police Force and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel provided essential supplies and saved lives in Sydney over the weekend (11-12 September).
Commander for the South West Metropolitan Region and Acting Assistant Commissioner for the NSW Police Force, Brett McFadden said officers working across the Region had called for ambulances, organised care for children and delivered hampers, essential groceries and nappies as part of their Operation Stay At Home taskings.
“In six separate instances across Campbelltown and Cumberland Police Area Commands, officers requested the help of NSW Ambulance paramedics after finding residents struggling to breathe, suffering shortness of breath, or vomiting,” Acting Assistant Commissioner McFadden said.
“In one of those instances, officers attended a home at Auburn to find a man lying face down and struggling to breathe,” he said.
“They immediately moved the man into a recovery position, cleared the house and opened windows to assist with airflow, as they called for NSW Ambulance paramedics to assist.”
Acting Assistant Commissioner McFadden said police had also arranged Council hampers for two families with young children and an elderly man who they found were running low on essentials.
He said the officers’ work over the weekend showed why police compliance and welfare checks were so important as the virus continued to impact the area.
“There’s a very good chance that the efforts of police saved the life of the man they found in Auburn this weekend,” he said.
“Police, ADF personnel and NSW Ambulance paramedics are the very definition of frontline workers and are putting their own health at risk to save others in Sydney’s most virus-riddled parts.
“For that we are very proud of them.”
Acting Assistant Commissioner McFadden said NSW Police wanted the public to know that its officers would be there for those in need as they continued to conduct compliance and welfare checks.
