FIVE attacks on fire crews on bonfire night

The fire and rescue service has revealed that five attacks on crews occurred on bonfire night - with over one thousand calls made to the service

Author: Lewis MichiePublished 6th Nov 2022
Last updated 6th Nov 2022

Five attacks on Scottish fire and rescue crews were recorded on bonfire night.

And more than one thousand calls were made to the service over an eight hour period, with staff being mobilised to attend 356 incidents.

Three of the attacks occurred in the West region, with the other two happening in the East - none in the North.

The service has thankfully said that no injuries have been reported from any of the attacks.

Assistant Chief Officer David Farries is director of service delivery for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He said: “It’s been another busy and challenging evening for our crews and Operations Control staff around Scotland and I thank them for their dedication.

“We are disappointed to report five attacks on our firefighters. In the run up to Bonfire Night, we had spoken out about this kind of unacceptable behaviour by a small minority which sadly happens year after year. Our staff should be able to carry out their role without being attacked and it is disappointing that people have tried to hurt firefighters and have damaged our appliances and equipment.

David Farries

“Crews only attend bonfire related incidents when people contact us about concerns over public safety and we extinguish fires that are unsafe.

“We put a huge amount of planning and preparation into this evening with local partners and other emergency services as we work together to protect communities, which is always our top priority.”

The majority of the calls - over half - were received in the West of the country. With the East proving slightly busier than the North.

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