Rise in attacks on Humberside firefighters
Attacks include verbal or physical abuse and harassment.
Last updated 13th Nov 2023
Firefighters are often heralded as community heroes, but a report from Humberside Fire and Rescue suggests attacks on firefighters are on the rise.
15 attacks were recorded between April and September this year, with police called out to nine of those incidents. This is up from four attacks during the same period in 2022.
Humberside Fire and Rescue's Assistant Chief Fire Officer Matt Sutcliffe said: "We're really keen to keep our firefighters safe from going through those traumatic incidents but everyone's got a trigger and a tolerance level. The reality is no-one should go to work and be subject to acts of aggression or attacks."
Firefighters received verbal abuse in 14 of the attacks, and five cases involved harassment. In three cases objects were thrown, and two incidents involved physical abuse.
Matt Sutcliffe said: "We will work together as all blue light agencies to keep everyone safe so you turn up to work and have a good day and make a difference to the community and not be subject to such an attack whether it be physical or verbal."
Figures also showed 35 accidents took place between April and September, with 15 of them happening during training.
Matt Sutcliffe said that although the figures make for grim reading, it does point to more staff reporting such incidents.