Fire crews physically assaulted, stoned and threatened with weapons in West Yorkshire as figures show national rise in attacks

Fire crews in West Yorkshire have been physically assaulted, stoned and threatened with weapons this year as national figures show a worrying increase in attacks on firefighters.
Tom Coates
By Tom Coates
Published 23rd Oct 2022, 11:45 BST
Updated 23rd Oct 2022, 12:42 BST
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West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have released figures showing nine of the 15 attacks on their firefighters since April have happened in Bradford. Figures from Fire and Rescue Workforce and Pensions Statistics [FRWPS] show that between April 2021 and March 2022, there were 983 attacks nationally, an increase of 5% from the previous year. FRWPS gather the figures using the Home Office’s Incident Recording System.

Benjy Bush, area manager of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Communities need to realise that while our firefighters are being attacked, they are not able to fully focus on the job in hand – keeping everyone safe. Such mindless actions not only impact our crews but they also drain public resources as call-outs can require a police presence and additional fire crews.”

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Earlier this year, a 13-year-old boy from Bradford was convicted of attacking a firefighter in Bradford and was ordered to pay £50 in compensation. Crews had been called to a kitchen fire but a group of youths approached and punched a firefighter.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, there were 983 attacks nationally, an increase of 5% from the previous year.Between April 2021 and March 2022, there were 983 attacks nationally, an increase of 5% from the previous year.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, there were 983 attacks nationally, an increase of 5% from the previous year.

Mr Bush said: “These new Home Office figures may be shocking, but they still don’t give a true picture as they only cover incidents attended by firefighters through an emergency call. We have had firefighters attacked while out on fire safety visits, and while training – which would not have been recorded in the figures.

"Also, even if several firefighters are injured in an attack, it is only recorded as one incident by the Home Office. These attacks are more frequent and more serious than even these figures are able to convey.”

Martyn Bairstow, brigade secretary of the West Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, added: “Sadly, we see the harm these attacks have on our members, both physically and mentally. To hear that they are at a ten-year high is appalling when firefighters are already having to deal with many other pressures such as the cost of living crisis.”