THESE are some of the paramedics left to pick up the pieces when lives are shattered from alcohol-fuelled violence. They are fed up with thugs acting like "animals in a zoo" and are heartbroken about the growing number of lives destroyed by violence.

1. ALEX PETERS 29 PARAMEDIC FOR 9 YEARS

People need to understand the fragility of the human head and the brain. If they're going to throw a punch at someone, at their head, the consequences are the same as raising a gun to their head.There's a lack of respect for human life. We're all resilient and that's why we find our way into this job but we've all got families and loved ones that we can relate to these cases. Two years ago I looked after (coward's punch victim) Thomas Kelly and every time I hear about another one of these assaults it's another little chip away. The outlook for Thomas was fairly evident when we arrived. When we transported him to hospital, the outlook was grim. We're helpless treating someone like that. The damage is done.

2. JOHN GEORGIADIS 47 PARAMEDIC FOR 15 YEARS

As we get more and more ice, cocaine and alcohol, it seems people are becoming more violent. We are getting assaults where someone is knocking someone out and then jumping on them. I have a 20-year-old boy and when you go to someone who is 20 and you hear it is unprovoked, straight away you think "that could have been my son on a night out''. They might have just been walking along minding their own business and they get king-hit and they're now dead or unconscious. It is quite confronting. It could be you, it could be your son, it could be your daughter.

3. JASMINE ELLIS 31 PARAMEDIC FOR 10 YEARS

There is definitely a matter of urgency in transporting these people (one-punch victims). There's certainly not much that can be done at the scene - all of it is done in surgery. It's upsetting and it's disappointing. To have such a traumatic injury at such a young age. It's just such a waste. If you know you're a violent person, you need to stop drinking and you need to think about consequences.

4. HAMUERA KOHU 50 PARAMEDIC FOR 18 YEARS

There's not much that we haven't seen. Whether it's someone throwing up in the gutter, people getting punched, stabbed, shot. Most places that we attend you have pandemonium. People are concerned about their friends. They might still be fighting. You start looking as soon as you're approaching and you start to see who the main players are. You start looking for the patients, they might be on the ground or holding their face or people might be over the top of them providing first aid. We are always planning for the worst and hoping for the best. Sometimes we

realise there is futility. You know that whatever's happened was senseless, it's just so violent that it goes beyond humanity. We have been reduced to an animal state.

5. MEAGAN COOLAHAN 31 PARAMEDIC FOR 10 YEARS

There's been a definite increase in the amount of binge-drinking and the level of aggression and violence. Have some self-control, both with your alcohol intake and your level of aggression. For us, when our workload becomes so high, it really is like being a zookeeper in the zoo. Their behaviour is so appalling. It does get difficult when it's weekend after weekend, but it's something that we're now prepared for. We come in on a Friday, Saturday night and expect this stuff to happen.

6. GILES BUCHANAN 42 PARAMEDIC FOR 14 YEARS

A lot of it comes down to taking responsibility for your actions. If you go out with the mindset to hurt someone, just think again. You could be ending someone's life. I have a young boy and fear for what the world will be like when he grows up if we keep going in this direction. You don't even need to be in a bad area, you could be in a main street, well lit, and all of a sudden someone chooses to be violent for no reason.

7. LLOYD HERBERT 32 PARAMEDIC FOR 7 YEARS

The growing aggression has really taken over. There is an element of desensitisation among these young guys. I'm not sure if it's from movies or video games but they just don't seem to be aware of the consequences of their actions. As a paramedic, you need to be prepared and have your wits about you because it's becoming more frequent. Our job is to help people but some people just can't be saved.

8. IAN JOHNS 44 PARAMEDIC FOR 25 YEARS AND STATION MANAGER

The Sydney control centre is one of the busiest ambulance control centres in the world - it holds the operation together. When people ring triple-O they are usually beyond their coping mechanisms and they're screaming. If the person on the phone is close enough to the patient you can hear their grunting, snoring-type breathing. That indicates to us it's a significant head injury. Sometimes you can hear them breathing slower and slower.