Stawell SES unit controller Alan Blight said the unit endorses the proposed legislation.

Last month emergency workers were promised this change. This follows public outrage after the quashing of jail terms for two women who assaulted a paramedic in 2016.

Mr Blight said the Stawell SES Unit has been lucky. 

“Some of our members might cop something (from the people we are assisting), but it’s generally not caused by alcohol and other drugs,” he said. 

“It’s usually to do with shock and a reaction to do with what just happened.” 

The proposed legislation was introduced to state parliament last week under the Justice Legislation Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2018.

It will make injuring an emergency worker a category one offence under the Sentencing Act 1991.

Proposed under the legislation, courts will have to impose a custodial sentence and will not be able to sentence offenders to a community correction order or other non-custodial outcome. 

The Bill will also provide a very narrow exception for cases involving offenders with a mental or cognitive impairment.

But the offender will be required to obtain treatment or other support for the impairment that caused the offending behaviour and must attend court regularly for monitoring, or risk being sent to prison.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will also be given new powers to appeal any decision which involved a finding of special reasons if they consider the finding resulted in an inadequate sentence.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said emergency service workers are not punching bags. 

“Under these new laws, the cowards who attack and injure emergency service workers will get what they deserve,” he said.