DETROIT – EMS workers Kelly Adams and Alfredo Rojas, who were attack in Detroit Tuesday morning, haven't yet begun recovering.
Outside, the demands for safety training are very loud.
"We've dropped the ball for some time at Detroit EMS," said Joe Barney, the Detroit EMS union president.
Barney said he and EMS workers have been asking for safety training for some time, including self-defense, de-escalation and more.
He said the fire and EMS departments weren't interested.
"They worried more about lawsuits from citizens than technicians getting injured," he said. "And last night was probably the most brutal, savage attack I've ever seen on EMS technicians."
However, it looks like that's going to change.
In only his second day on the job, Interim Fire Commissioner Eric Jones said he will meet with the police department to ask for training.
"I understand the situation that the men and women of the Detroit Fire Department and Detroit EMS Department are experiencing right now," Jones said. "I'm working aggressively to get them the training and the equipment they need."
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Many agree that safety training would not have prevented the attack. But Barney and Mayor Mike Duggan agree that the injuries might not have been as serious.
"We need to give our EMTs every possible tool for their protection," Duggan said. "Commissioner Jones is working on that right now."
"They're going to need some prayers," Barney said, fighting back tears. "There's going to be a lengthy recovery. And in some cases, they might not be normal again."
Barney and many Detroit EMTs believe that having Jones lead the fire department will make a difference. Jones is a former police officer and they believe that he understands the need for safety.