A professional paramedic, who served as a duty officer for the NSW ambulance special operations team on the day of the stabbing attack at Bondy junction, told the court that he learned about the major incident "by chance".

The duty officer also told the investigation that six deaths in April 2024 were not readily available to expert caregivers.

Witnesses, known only as "SOT1", told lawyers to assist coroner Peggy Dwyer SC, have 57 trained Special Operations Team (SOT) paramedics in Sydney. In support of tactical operations police officers in high-risk environments, they wear ballistic body armor and helmets.

Schizophrenic man Joel Cauchi, 40, killed Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30. He injured 10 others during his stallbing spree on 13 April that started about 3.33pm and ended when he was shot and killed by police inspector Amy Scott at 3.38pm.

The NSW coroner court heard on Thursday that SOT1 learned about the incident "by chance" at 3.46pm. On the phone call about a separate question, he was told: "Someone was crazy with a gun at Bondy, and we don't have time for that."

His principal then sent a text message telling him that a major incident involving the stabbing occurred and that there was a "scratch" message.

SOT1 told Lidcombe the coroner court that since he is on duty for the expert team, the control room team should soon tell him about the incident.

He told security guard Lester Fernandez SC, the attorney for the Tahir family, that I could only make some assumptions… They were overwhelmed because of the level of information they received, and it was a supervisor at the time. ”

Fernandez then asked, "Is this not their character, contacting people like you?"

SOT1 answered: "This is correct."

The court learned that SOT resources have been allocated to the event, but the lag of passing details to SOT1 means access to the expert ballistic PPE (delay is required when the SOT team enters an area with potentially active armed criminals.

A SOT of Bondi Junction requested the use of police ballistic PPE. The request must be upgraded twice before the paramedics can be allowed to use police equipment.

Since September 2023, the SOT ballistic gear has been in an undisclosed central position, not at every officer's station. Some SOT care workers arrive at the Bondi junction from Penrith and Central Coast.

"We need to provide equipment in convenient locations," SOT1 said on Thursday.

He said the lack of personnel means that the police's tactical operations department did not have a roster of paramedics for the special operations team on the day of the stabbing.

The weather was good, which meant the lineup was built with major events expected near the Blue Mountains and the Ocean, the duty officer said.

He said that by “fully supplementing” SOTS, “more” of professional caregivers would be beneficial.

The court was informed that the delay in entry into the ballistic PPE, and the roster issue had no clinical impact on April 13, 2024.

SOT1 praised the expert paramedics of the day and said police officer Insp Amy Scott and two French civilians helped her do everything possible to stop Cauchi. “These actions are simply excellent,” he told the investigation that was scheduled to last for five weeks.

Insp Colin Green, manager of NSW police expert National Protection Organisation, told the court on Thursday it was difficult to prepare for active armed criminals with "high levels of intention and even moderate ability".

In this case, the national security message of “escape, hide, tell” needs to be promoted.

"It should be as common for our young people as the message of lowering, walking, walking, walking, walking, walking, walking, walking, walking," he said, referring to the fire department's spell.

Green told state coroner Teresa O'Sullivan that it was "about saving lives, it was about preventing harm."