Humberside Fire Service Reveals Attacks on Firefighters and Vehicles

Bricks and bottles being thrown at Humberside firefighters and engines were among the rising number of attacks on staff this year.

There have been 11 attacks and incidents of abuse so far this year, four of them in Hull and the East Riding, figures from a freedom of information request show. Crews have faced verbal abuse while trying to save lives, a spokesperson for the service said.

The latest incident happened in Trentham Close, Bridlington, where a man verbally abused crew members. In another case, verbal abuse was hurled at firefighters in Withernsea.

There have been 69 assaults and incidents of harassment on members of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service in the past five years, including harassment, throwing objects and physical and verbal abuse. A total of 37 were in Hull and 12 were in the East Riding, with the remaining 20 in North and North East Lincolnshire.

Among the most shocking cases was a spate of incidents in and around Gower Park, on the Boothferry estate in Hull, between October and November 2021. Objects were thrown at vehicles and staff, who were also physically abused.

At the time of the assaults, the fire chief said he feared crews were being lured to the area. Gangs of youths had pushed firefighters, tampered with equipment and even cut a hose.

A bus stop and wheelie bins were set on fire during a wave of antisocial behaviour between Halloween and Bonfire Night that year.

There were nine incidents recorded in Bransholme between 2019-22, including two in Biggin Avenue.

There were four in Bridlington between 2020 and this year, and three on the Thornton estate, in central Hull, between 2018 and January this year.

Across the Humber region, 24 of the incidents involved harassment, while 22 saw objects being thrown at staff. There were 21 cases of objects being thrown at vehicles and 23 cases of “other acts of aggression”. There were 13 incidents involving physical abuse and 57 including verbal abuse.

Incidents have been on the rise this year after falling to six in 2022. There were 15 in both 2018 and 2019 and seven in 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic.

The service’s spokesperson said some progress had been made following the launch of a campaign called “Don’t Cross the Line” in 2020, which aimed to curb attacks on emergency workers. However, incidents were now on the rise again.

The spokesperson said:

“One attack is too many and attacks against our staff should never be accepted as part of the job. Our staff live in the communities they help to keep safe and when they experience physical and verbal abuse it’s really disheartening.

“Unfortunately, there have been areas across the region where we’ve experienced repeat attacks towards our vehicles and staff as they respond to 999 incidents. We continue to work with Humberside Police and local authorities to help address anti-social behaviour in these areas.

“Recent attacks include reports of objects such as bottles and bricks being thrown at fire engines and staff, with most attacks involving verbal abuse while our staff help save and prevent further risk to life.

“We support staff affected by attacks by making sure they receive medical attention if required and ongoing physical and mental health support through the extensive resources available to all staff through our Occupational Health and Wellbeing team.

“We encourage members of the public to share our vision in ensuring we protect our emergency service workers, who work to protect them and ultimately help to save lives.”