Attacks on Firefighters

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Thurrock: Thugs threaten fire crew with knives

Teenage thugs threatened firefighters with knives and cut through a hose as crews tried to douse a suspicious blaze in a children's playground in Tilbury.

There were about 40 teenagers at the Daisy Field Recreation Area when firefighters arrived at 8.30pm on Friday.

Many of them shouted abuse and threw cans of beer at the crews from Orsett Fire Station.

Assistant chief fire officer Andy Fry said: "They were trying to ignore it then the firefighters were approached by two youths or young adults who threatened them with knives at close range.

"They thought they were going to be stabbed."

More in tomorrow's Echo



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Stones hurled at firefighters

POLICE were called after firefighters working in the yard of Epsom Fire Station were pelted with stones, lumps of wood and other missiles from a nearby block of flats.

The attack on Thursday, December 2 came during an exercise with breathing apparatus.

One firefighter, who was not feeling well, sat down.

A spokesman said: "Suddenly all these stones came down from the flats overlooking the yard.

"We believe it was teenagers and the police went round and warned them."


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[The Wise Old Owl]

Fire crew attacked at park blaze

A fire crew has been attacked in west Belfast.
The firefighters were called out to Colin Glen Forest Park following a phone call late on Sunday night.

When they arrived they were threatened by about 40 youths and pelted with bottles and stones. The teenagers then urinated over the appliance.

A fire service statement described the incident as a "new low" in how firefighters were treated by some in the community.

The attack was condemned by local Sinn Fein MLA Michael Ferguson.

"I am thankful that none of the firemen were injured and I am particularly saddened by the offence caused to the dignity of the men concerned," he said.

He said that open air drinkers who used the park were behind the incident.

Mr Ferguson said they had "fallen into an appalling human state".



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[The Wise Old Owl]

NI fire crew attacked by youths

Drunken thugs lured a Northern Ireland fire crew into a trap where they were pelted with missiles, it emerged today.

Up to 40 youths also urinated over equipment as the under-siege west Belfast unit tried to escape.

Belfast area commander Chris Kerr said: "We have reached a new low in how firefighters are being treated in the community."

His men were called out to a blaze at Colin Glen Forest Park last night, but when they arrived a mob surrounded their engine.

"All the indications are that the fire was started deliberately to draw my firefighters into the area and attack them," Mr Kerr said.

"They were surrounded by 40 youths, many of whom were in a drunken state. The appliance was then attacked by bottles and bricks.

"When the crew was trying to deal with the fire, the driver was threatened verbally with physical assault.

"As the crew began to leave, they urinated over the appliance."

Mr Kerr was incensed by how the service was treated as they responded to a suspected emergency.

Political representatives and members of the public were also sickened by the attack, he said.

"These firefighters left their homes to go and provide an essential service to the people of west Belfast," he added.

Sinn Fein West Belfast MLA Michael Ferguson claimed drinkers who use the park were responsible.

He said: "I am thankful that none of the firemen were injured and I am particularly saddened by the offence caused to the dignity of the men concerned."

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[The Wise Old Owl]

Call for crackdown as thugs attack fire crew

Firefighters today demanded a zero-tolerance crackdown on attacks after a crew was pelted with bottles and stones in west Belfast.

Up to 40 youths were involved in the attack, which took place at Colin Glen Forest Park at about 8pm yesterday.

The firefighters from Springfield Road station were called out to the park, where a pile of rubbish was burning.

On arrival, a gang of teenagers attacked the appliance with bottles and other missiles and subjected the fire crew to verbal abuse.

The driver of the appliance was forced to take refuge as the gang surrounded it.

The crew also came under attack as they dealt with the fire.

As they were leaving the scene, the gang then began urinating over the appliance and equipment.

Describing the incident as a "new low" in attacks, area commander for Belfast Chris Kerr said the incident had been premeditated.

"The call-out was an attempt to lure the officers into a trap where they could be attacked," said Mr Kerr.

"This was a disgraceful attack on firefighters who left their homes last night to go out and provide a service.

"To their credit, after the incident, they all remained on duty and continued to respond to calls throughout Belfast.

"This is a new low in attacks but we are reassured by the support we have received from the community at large, which is in sharp contrast to the contempt shown to us by the gang of teenagers."

Mr Kerr said he supported the Government's campaign aimed at ending attacks on fire crews.

But Jim Barbour of the Fire Brigades Union said the campaign was not working and a "radical rethink" was now needed.

"This attack has all the hallmarks of a premeditated ambush and the time has now come for a policy of zero-tolerance," Mr Barbour said.

"The £0.5m campaign has been a total failure, indeed may even have contributed to this situation, so we really need a radical rethink.

"The people carrying out these attacks are not going to pay any attention to a campaign.

"They are degenerates and social misfits and and a new approach to tackling them must be adopted.

"These firefighters were abused and manhandled before their appliance was urinated on and they must be traumatised by what happened."

Sinn Fein MLA Michael Ferguson condemned the incident.

"I am particularly saddened by the offence caused to the dignity of the men concerned," said Mr Ferguson.



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999 crews pelted by bricks at scene

Fire fighters braved a hailstorm of bricks, stones and bottles from children as young as 12 as they battled to put out a blaze in a troubled Walsall street.

One member of the crew from Walsall was hit in the back by a brick which was hurled at him by a member of group of youngsters who gathered outside the property in Shakespeare Crescent, Harden.

The yobs then meted out the same treatment to police officers who were called out as reinforcements so that fire fighting operations could carry on unhindered.

A police car was damaged and officers gave chase to a group of about a dozen youths, but they all fled in different directions. None was caught.

It meant that a routine callout which could have been tackled in about 30 minutes took three and a half hours to deal with and prevented the nine-strong crew attending other emergencies on Saturday night.

Now the gang was slated by the lead member of the crew for attacking fire fighters who were only trying to do their job.

"The fire had spread from the bedroom where it started to the roof, and that made it an involved job in itself without the physical violence which then followed," said station officer Nigel Walker.

The fire - in one of only two houses still standing at the bottom of the crescent - was started deliberately.



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[eGnaro]

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Fire crews attacks down thanks to joint approach

VIOLENT attacks on firefighters are falling thanks to help from an Echo campaign, figures out today revealed.
Tyne and Wear Fire Service says a combination of its education programmes and the Echo's campaign – Protect the Heroes – have led to a drop in the number of assaults on fire crews on 999 calls.
Protect the Heroes is calling for better protection from violent attacks in law for emergency workers such as firefighters, paramedics, nurses and doctors.
Firefighters, in particular, have become a target for brick-throwing yobs, in some cases inflicting so much violence crews have had to withdraw from emergencies.
Richard Bull, chief fire officer for Tyne and Wear, said that from April 2003 to March 2004, there were 42 attacks on his crews.
But since April last year – nine months – there had only been 23 attacks.
The figures for the period around Guy Fawkes Night, covering October and November, show a similar drop, with 12 attacks in 2003 but only five last year.
Mr Bull said he was delighted with the downward trend: "We've been assisted by the Echo and its campaign, and we've also been doing a lot of work in the community.
"We've worked with youngsters through schools and education and through the Young Firefighters' Association.
"It seems we're finally starting to get the message across that attacking people who are assisting at a time of need is just not acceptable."
The man whose job is to curb attacks on Wearside is Station Officer Eddie Cairns.
As community safety officer for Sunderland he has been running a number of education projects from the city's central fire station, including a junior fire brigade, which meets in the early evenings.
"Things are getting better," he said. "When you run these courses the word gets around that firefighters are decent people after all.
"We get out there and do talks with young people to explain that we're a friendly face but we can't do our job if they're stoning us.
"You're always going to get the odd incident but we're really working actively to cut down on those incidents."


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Youth admits part in attack on firefighters

A SHERIFF heard yesterday how a team of firefighters were set upon by a gang of youths as they tried to put out a bonfire in Cowdenbeath on Guy Fawkes Night.

One of the fire crew was struck on the helmet by a brick, while others had to turn their hose on a firework when it ignited after being chucked into the bonfire.

They were also sworn at and intimidated.

Stephen Livingstone, from Cowdenbeath, admitted taking part in the incident when he appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court yesterday.

Livingstone, who stood on the hose stopping the firefighters from doing their job properly, was warned the matter was so serious he could be sent to detention.

Livingstone (16), of Thistle Street, admitted committing a breach of the peace at Central Park, Cowdenbeath, on November 5, 2004 by standing on a hose, preventing it from being extended.

His pleas of not guilty to throwing a brick, which hit a firefighter on the head, and assaulting another firefighter by pushing him were accepted by the Crown.

Depute fiscal John Napier said the incident happened at around 7 pm after the fire brigade received a call about a fire behind a derelict building near Central Park football ground.

Livingstone, a fifth-year pupil at Beath High School, was part of a group of between 15 and 20 teenagers.

The accused stood out because he was quite tall for his age and was wearing a bright red jacket. He also had a plaster cast on his left arm.

Mr Napier added that two of the firefighters were told to put out the bonfire.

As they began unrolling the hose Livingstone stood on it preventing them from doing their job.

He was asked to move but began swearing at the station officer, asking him what he was going to do about it.

“It was an extremely provocative remark under the circumstances and he’s lucky the station officer didn’t do something about it,†said Mr Napier.

Livingstone then walked over to the other youths, who were standing close to the bonfire.

A firework was then thrown into the fire.

It ignited and headed for the firefighters, who were forced to douse it using the hose.

The brick was then thrown.

“It hit off one of the firefighter’s helmets making a cracking sound,†Mr Napier told Sheriff Ian Simpson.

“Although he wasn’t injured, he got a fright.

“The station officer said he saw the firefighter visibly flinch when the brick struck his helmet.

“Throughout all this the group was shouting and swearing at the firefighters.

“It is a sad commentary on our times, my lord.â€

Mr Napier stressed there was no evidence to suggest Livingstone threw the firework, or the brick, which hit one of the firefighters.

Livingstone later told the police he stood on the hose because he was upset the fire brigade were trying to put out the bonfire.

Solicitor Norman Cowie said, “My client was anything but sober.

“He had been experimenting with alcohol on the night in question, but that is no excuse for what happened.

“He accepts that obstructing firemen in the course of their duty is a serious matter.â€

Mr Cowie said the entire incident was out of character.

Livingstone, he added, came from a stable background and had never been in trouble before.

He was doing well at school and was about to sit his exams.

Sheriff Simpson said he would call for background reports given the gravity of the crime.

He told Livingstone, “You have pled guilty to a very serious offence.

“Assaults on public servants, be they doctors, firemen, or police- men, are far too common and they require to be discouraged.

“Quite what form that discouragement will be in your case I will have to decide once I have read the background papers, but you can take it I am actively considering a custodial sentence.â€

Livingstone will be sentenced next month.


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[The Wise Old Owl]

Firefighter hit by airgun pellet

A firefighter has spoken of his anger and fear after he was shot with an air gun while on duty.

Jason George was getting equipment ready to react to a call when youths opened fire on him.

The 35-year-old, of Bunting Close, Chelmsford, was on his own in the forecourt of the Rainsford Lane fire station in Chelmsford when he was shot in the hand.

"I heard a noise but thought nothing of it then five minutes later I heard it again," he said. "When I looked down my hand was bleeding.

"I went inside to show my colleagues and ask if they'd seen anything. We went back outside and found pellets on the floor.

Mr George, who has been based in Chelmsford for a year after transferring from Hadleigh, said: "The shot broke the skin on my hand. I didn't need any treatment but it was the shock of it more than anything.

"I suppose the kids think it's a bit of fun but they don't understand the seriousness of it I'm just glad they didn't hit me in the eye. The police said they've seen a child blinded by a bb gun before."

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "The risk these people are taking is huge. If we get a report of someone with a handgun we could deploy armed officers."

Police say a group of teenagers were seen running away from the area shortly after the incident at about 8pm on Thursday, February 3 and are appealing for witnesses.