North East fire crews warning people to be careful on bonfire night
They are expecting a big rise in call-outs
Fire crews across the North East are warning people to be careful this bonfire night.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue service say they are expecting a big rise in call-outs.
Lee Aspery is from there and said: "Full blown adults physically and verbally assault crews in the past. They have things thrown at them, fireworks thrown at them and it's sad to see because if you think, our whole ethos, everything we do in the fire service is safety in the community.
"We've had a situation set up purely to ambush the crew in the past. I think they think it's a laugh because they're in fire kit with a helmet, visor and all of that. They're probably thinking 'they're perfectly safe, there's no issues here.' But as you all know, these things create all sorts of sparks.
"This is evidence from last year and somebody had actually parked up a disused caravan and built a bonfire around it. You can imagine the waste that's left over from that. There's all sorts of plastics, insulation, the smoke coming off that would have been thick, dense and toxic.
"We were talking around 340 incidents for us to attend. A lot of these are bonfires that have been left. We need crews to be ready to go on the motorway for road traffic accidents or if people are trapped in their homes and there's a fire, that's 340 times we're not available."
It comes as brand new body worn cameras have been rolled out in time to support their safety this fireworks season.
CDDFRS began piloting the equipment in 2021 but have recently upgraded the cameras, ensuring all wholetime fire stations as well as Business and Community Safety teams are equipped with the recording technology.
This upgraded technology supports the 360-degree CCTV systems the service has already installed in every fire engine.
Welcoming the latest investment, Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps said: “The lead up to November 5th is traditionally the busiest period for fire services across the UK, and CDDFRS is no exception.
“The vast majority of people in the area we serve are respectful and considerate and deserve to enjoy all the fun and excitement that Bonfire Night and the days leading up to it brings.
“Sadly, however, we’ve already seen a rise in anti-social-behaviour and, most worryingly, attacks on our hard-working firefighters.”
So far this month, firefighters have on four separate occasions arrived at incidents only to have fireworks, rocks and other missiles hurled at them by young people.
CFO Helps said: “No one goes to work to be assaulted, especially not our firefighters, many of whom chose their career based on their desire to keep other people safe.
“As Chief Fire Officer, the safety and wellbeing of my staff is a top priority and I hope this investment in recording technology helps keep our frontline firefighters safe.
“Let this be a warning to those amongst us who would consider harming a firefighter as they go about their duties, you risk being caught on camera, and we will on every occasion report the offence to the police and seek a criminal conviction for assaulting an emergency services worker. Ask yourself, is it worth it?”
He added: “Please, don’t be one of the minority that ruins Bonfire Night for the majority this year. By working together and being kind and considerate, we can all have a better Bonfire Night.”