County Durham and Darlington firefighters condemn Bonfire Night attacks
Crews are preparing for their busiest period of the year
Firefighters in County Durham and Darlington are condemning attacks on Bonfire Night and are issuing a warning.
It comes as crews prepare for their busiest period of the year.
Chief Fire Officer, Steve Helps, said: "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 brings.
“Sadly, however, we’ve already seen a rise in anti-social-behaviour and, most worryingly, attacks on our hard-working firefighters.”
Since April, on seven separate occasions, crews have arrived at incidents only to have fireworks, rocks, bottles and other missiles hurled at them, often by young people.
Meanwhile, reports of firefighters and control staff being verbally abused and a report of criminal damage have also been logged since the start of the financial year.
This is a rise from the same period last year.
CFO Helps added: “No one goes to work to be assaulted.
“All of our firefighters joined the profession out of a true desire to keep people safe, and it is abhorrent that people in our communities would seek to deliberately injure people that they and their families rely on to keep them safe.
“Ahead of this weekend’s festivities, I strongly recommend people sit down with their children and remind them their actions have consequences.
“Not only could they injure a firefighter, preventing them from being able to attend a serious 999 call out.
“But they could also land themselves in trouble with our colleagues at Durham Constabulary.”
CDDFRS crews are fitted with body worn cameras and all fire engines are equipped with 360-degree CCTV systems, meaning those who seek to harm emergency service workers can be caught on camera and identified.
CFO Helps said: “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.”
Public urged not to have a 'backyard bonfire'
Crews from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) are urging the public not to have a ‘backyard bonfire’ to celebrate Bonfire Night and instead attend an organised display.
It comes as data from CDDFRS shows that crews in County Durham and Darlington were called to 64 bonfire-related incidents and attended 96 anti-social behaviour fires from October 25 to November 7, 2023.
Comparatively, between July 25 and August 7, 2023, firefighters attended 56 anti-social behaviour fires.
The Service has joined forces with Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and Durham Constabulary to ensure the public are aware of the dangers and issue key safety advice.
Allan Hobson, Community Safety Station Manager at CDDFRS, said: “Backyard bonfires are often fires without proper controls or safety measures which makes them potentially extremely dangerous for our crews to extinguish.
“This is due to the uncertainty of careless disposal of hazardous items within the bonfires.
“They are also an environmental hazard and can be very disruptive and distressing for neighbouring residents.
“The smartest way to stay safe this bonfire season would be to attend an organised fireworks display and report any bonfires that you see being built on public land to your local council.”
CDDFRS are advising those who are planning to have fireworks at home, to follow the Firework Code.
There are nine steps to staying safe using The Firework Code:
• If your garden length is less than 8m from your house (or other homes or structures) consider attending an organised display.
• Only buy fireworks which carry the CE or UKCA mark from a recognised reputable retailer.
• Read and follow the instructions on each firework.
• Keep your fireworks in a closed box and use them one at a time.
• Only adults should light the fireworks and should do so at arm's length using a taper and stand well back.
• Never return to a firework once it has been lit.
• Never keep fireworks in pockets and never throw them.
• Rockets should be launched using the provided tube into clear over head space and well away from spectators.
Allan continued: “Remember alcohol and fireworks do not mix - one person should be responsible for lighting the fireworks.
“Most animals get very scared by the lights and noise from fireworks so keep your pets safe indoors.
“Please supervise children using sparklers and ensure they wear gloves and hold them at arm’s length.
“Light sparklers one at a time and put used sparklers hot end down into a bucket of water.
“Never give sparklers to children under the age of five.
“If a firework fails to go off, leave it for at least 30 minutes and then place it in a bucket of water.
“Use something heavy like a brick to keep it in the water for 24 hours.
“Then place the wet firework in a plastic bin bag and tie the bag closed before placing it in a normal bin.
“By following this important advice and remembering the Firework Code, we hope that everyone can enjoy a safe and fun Bonfire Night.”
Durham Constabulary has warned that anyone found using fireworks illegally could face a fine of up to £5,000 and a six month prison sentence.
A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: “Our number one priority is ensuring everyone stays safe and enjoys themselves this Bonfire Night, so our officers will be on patrol as normal.
“We would like to remind people that it is illegal to set off or throw fireworks, including sparklers in the street or other public places.
“A fine of up to £5,000 and a six month prison sentence can be given to anyone found using fireworks illegally.
“When Bonfire Night arrives, we’d encourage people to attend an organised event as they are the safest way to enjoy fireworks.
“Please stay safe and have fun.”
Durham County Council urged the public to attend an organised firework display this Bonfire Night.
Owen Cleugh, Durham County Council’s safer places manager, said: “Unauthorised bonfires can be incredibly dangerous.
“They also result in hundreds of nuisance incidents for the fire service to deal with, potentially taking much-needed resources away from our communities.
“We would, therefore, urge people to attend an organised fireworks display and enjoy bonfire night in the safest way possible.
“If anyone is planning to buy fireworks for their own display, we would ask that you please only buy them from a licensed seller and follow all safety precautions, paying particular attention to separation distances.
“Please also help us to keep people safe by reporting any unauthorised bonfires being built so that we can arrange for these to be dismantled.”
If you see an unauthorised bonfire being built, please report it to the council to help keep our communities safe.
To report an unauthorised bonfire in County Durham and for details of organised firework displays visit the Durham Council website.
To report an unauthorised bonfire in the Darlington area, call 01325 406999 or email customerservices@darlington.gov.uk during normal office hours.
If it is an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the fire service.