Attacks on firefighters and emergency service responders put communities at risk

Attacks on Scotland’s firefighters during Bonfire Night could be putting communities at risk, warns a senior fire officer.

Crews across Scotland were attacked on 13 reported occasions on November 5, 2018.

Firefighters from Livingston and Edinburgh were targeted by missiles and fireworks – and firefighters were pulled back from entering some areas without a Police Scotland escort.

Now, as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service approaches its busiest night of the year, one of the country’s top firefighters has appealed to communities to help stamp out the behaviour.

Firefighters across the country responded to more than 330 deliberate fires and illegal bonfires on Bonfire Night, 2018 – while Operations Control dealt with more than 720 calls.

Assistant Chief Officer John Dickie is the SFRS’s Director of Response and Resilience. He said: “Our firefighters’ main purpose is to save lives. You can rest assured that they will always be there to help at times of emergency.

“But every time we hear that our friends and colleagues have been attacked, our hearts sink.

“Not only are we concerned for their welfare, but also that of the community.

“When we pull back our crews to ensure their safety, our ability to respond to an emergency is inevitably delayed, and an illegal bonfire can quickly spiral out of control.

“But be left in absolutely no doubt that it is often down to a very small minority of individuals within those communities.”

ACO Dickie added: “This can’t be tolerated, and across Scotland we are working closer than ever with our Police Scotland colleagues ahead of Bonfire Night to ensure that we are able to respond appropriately in the areas that we know will be problematic.

“Attacking any emergency responder is a criminal action, and we will work to ensure that those responsible are identified and held to account.”

SFRS last year launched its #DoNotAttackMe campaign – a direct appeal from firefighters and their families for an end to attacks on crews.

The wide-ranging campaign was debated in the Scottish Parliament days later and generated cross-party discussions in the chamber – not only on firefighters being subjected to physical and verbal assault, but all emergency service workers.

Speaking at the time from the Scottish Parliament, Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “It’s incomprehensible that a minority of individuals would chose to attack our emergency services, and I welcome the unity in this debate to condemn this behaviour.

“The Scottish Government does not and will not tolerate any such attacks on emergency services staff.”

However, despite a high profile national campaign and the support of politicians and partners, several attacks on firefighters still took place.

This included a fire appliance in the Glasgow area being damaged by thrown missiles, while police had to escort crews in West Lothian to extinguish fires. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained by firefighters.

But ACO Dickie said: “This type of behaviour not only prevents our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion but it can impact on our emergency service colleagues including the police when they have to escort us at the scene.

“The communities of Scotland are all fantastic – they greatly appreciate the work of the fire and rescue service and we would urge most of law abiding residents to alert the police to any illegal activity.”

He also told how firefighters continue to serve at the very heart of their communities as role models. They also support the most vulnerable people to stay safe at home.

ACO Dickie said: “We do everything we can to protect communities and that includes our Home Fire Safety Visits where we will visit properties and install or check smoke detectors as well as provide general safety advice to residents.

“Additionally, in the run-up to Bonfire Night, we are working at the very heart of our communities to help keep people safe.

“Firefighters are working hard to keep elderly and vulnerable people safe and our firefighters go to great lengths to work with young people, visiting schools and educating people of all ages to the dangers of bonfires and fireworks.

“Our advice here is simple – attend an organised display where possible, and follow the firework safety code if you do plan on having your own display.

To report incidents contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively through the anonymous Crimestoppers helpline on 0800 555 111.

Advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is to attend a safely organised bonfire and firework display.

However if you must have a bonfire at home make sure it is well away from buildings, vehicles, trees, hedges, fences, power lines, telecommunications equipment and sheds  – and you must ensure that smoke does not cause a nuisance to neighbours or flying embers endanger neighbouring property.

  • Never drink alcohol if you are tending a bonfire or setting off fireworks – remember it is an offence to consume alcohol in a public place.
  • To reduce the emission of harmful smoke and combustion products bonfires should comprise of untreated wood and paper based materials only.
  • There is a danger of explosion from pressurised containers or sealed vessels amongst bonfire material or irresponsibly thrown on burning bonfires.
  • Never throw fireworks on bonfires.
  • Never use flammable liquids to ignite bonfires – use proprietary fire lighters.
  • Smoke from bonfires must not pose a public nuisance, affect visibility on roads or otherwise inconvenience vehicles.
  • Sparks, flying embers or burning debris must not endanger nearby property.
  • Never leave a burning/smouldering bonfire unsupervised – make sure it is completely extinguished.

Any bonfire failing to satisfy safety conditions or where people are behaving irresponsibly may be deemed dangerous and as such, subject to being either removed, extinguished or otherwise made safe.

Bonfires and the Law

  • It is an offence under Section 56 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for any person to lay or light a fire in a public place so as to endanger any other person or give them reasonable cause for alarm or annoyance or so as to endanger any property.
  • It is illegal for anyone under 18 years of age to possess fireworks.
  • Throwing fireworks or setting them off in a public place (anywhere other than your own garden) is illegal.
  • You are not permitted to use fireworks between the hours of 11pm and 7am on any day except on 5 November when the curfew extends to midnight.

If you know anything about fires that have been started deliberately in your area, you can call the Crimestoppers Scotland hotline on 0800 555 111. All calls are completely anonymous and do not require names or personal details and you will not be asked to give evidence in court.

Bonfire Season: keeping Edinburgh residents safe

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Chair of the Edinburgh’s Community Safety Partnership, writes about protecting the public around Bonfire Night:

“In recent years we’ve seen an escalation in anti-social behaviour in the time leading up to Halloween and Bonfire/ Guy Fawkes Night. Protecting our communities from harm during Bonfire Night and beyond, is a priority for us in the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership.  Continue reading Bonfire Season: keeping Edinburgh residents safe

Dispersal Zones back in place for firework season

Dispersal zones are to be set up across Edinburgh again this year to help tackle antisocial behaviour and disorder ahead of Bonfire Night. The zones will cover the hours between 2pm and midnight from Friday November 1 to Tuesday November 5. Continue reading Dispersal Zones back in place for firework season

Appeal following Trinity bogus workmen incident

Police are appealing for witnesses following a bogus workmen incident in Trinity’s Russell Place area.

At around 10.00am on Tuesday (15 October), an 80-year-old man was visited by a man who offered to carry out some garden work. A fee was agreed and paid in cash, even though it appeared that no work had been carried out. Continue reading Appeal following Trinity bogus workmen incident

Streets Ahead: City’s young drivers learn risks and responsibilities

Hundreds of new and aspiring young motorists are being given a thought-provoking insight into the risks and responsibilities faced by drivers this week.

Pupils from Royal High School are shown a car damaged by a crash, to find out more about irresponsible driving.

Sixth-year pupils from schools across the Capital are taking part in the ninth annual Streets Ahead Edinburgh Young Driver event, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers posed to newly-qualified drivers.

Amongst the hard-hitting, interactive activities highlighting the potential hazards of driving are the opportunities to try on drunk goggles, crash simulator headsets and seatbelt slides. Pupils will also watch dash-cam footage from Police Scotland and immerse themselves in Digby Brown Solicitors’ ‘mock court’, which recreates the aftermath of a road traffic collision.

The ever-popular event, which is attended by more than 2400 pupils from 31 schools, is hosted by Forth 1 DJ Grant Thomson and is jointly run by all partners in Streets Ahead Edinburgh: the City of Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland, NHS Lothian, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Safety Camera Unit (East).

The event is supported by Digby Brown Solicitors with other participants including the Scottish Ambulance Service, British Transport Police, Brain Rehabilitation Trust and Child Brain Injury Trust.e

Returning this year to speak to the young drivers is Laura Torrance. Laura, 35, has been a wheelchair user since 1999 when she was seriously injured in a car accident at the age of 16.

As well as thought-provoking presentations and interactive activities, sixth-year pupils attending the four-day event will learn about Operation Close Pass, which demonstrates safe distances for overtaking a cyclist on the road and, thanks to participation from Edinburgh Trams and Lothian, will get the chance to sit behind the wheel of a stationary electric bus to highlight driver visibility first hand.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young people engaged in this event, which every year helps highlight the importance of safe and responsible driving amongst some of our youngest and least experienced motorists.

“The interactive element may be fun, but there’s no ignoring the hard-hitting messages it conveys. As a Council, we are committed to keeping everyone safe from the risk of being killed or seriously injured on our roads, and the Young Driver event is a great way of instilling this ethos in the next generation of drivers.”

Inspector Roger Park from the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh said: “We believe it is vital to engage with young people who have recently passed their driving test, who are working towards their test and who are looking to start driving for the first time.

“Police Scotland are pleased to be supporting this important event and to be working closely with our partners in a multi-agency approach to promote safe driving. We hope that giving young people advice and guidance will give them an insight that will help them be safe on the roads.

“There is also a safety message to all drivers, as reducing the number of people seriously injured or killed on our roads is a key priority for Police Scotland and Edinburgh Division. We want everyone, young or otherwise, to be aware of the dangers of speeding, drink driving and driving under the influence of drugs. Awareness will contribute to reducing casualties in the future.”

Kenny Rogers, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Local Senior Officer for the City of Edinburgh, said: “Young drivers need to be equipped with the knowledge to stay safe on our roads and this event provides a great opportunity for all emergency partners to talk about the potential dangers of being behind the wheel of a car.

“It’s important to show young people how they can take measures to avoid being in a collision in the first place.”

For live updates from the event, check out Edinburgh Young Drivers on Twitter @edinyoungdriver and follow the hashtag #edinyd.

Young drivers: The facts

Young drivers are much more likely to be involved in an accident than older drivers. 17-25 year-olds account for 10% of licence holders, but over 20% of accidents.

The types of accidents which young drivers are involved in are different from older, more experienced drivers. Young drivers are more likely to be involved in:

  • Single vehicle accidents
  • Accidents as a result of the driver losing control of the vehicle

Find out more about the Young Drivers event online.

Scots want tougher controls on fireworks

Public concerns over animal welfare highlighted

A clear majority of Scots want to see tighter controls on the use and sale of fireworks.

A YouGov survey commissioned by the Scottish government and involving a representative sample of the Scottish population, showed 71% of adults supported tighter controls on the sale of fireworks to the public, with over half backing a ban.

And out of more than 16,000 respondents to a Scottish Government consultation on the issue:

  • 94% want to see tighter controls on the sale of fireworks
  • 93% want to see stronger regulations to ensure animals are not caused unnecessary suffering as a result of fireworks misuse
  • 92% feel there should be tighter controls on fireworks use
  • 87% would support an outright ban on the sale of fireworks

Concerns over the impact of fireworks on those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autism were also highlighted.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “The results of our consultation and survey demonstrate overwhelming public support for a change in how fireworks are sold and used.

“While legislation on the sale of fireworks is reserved to Westminster, I will work with stakeholders to look at the powers we have to drive forward action to reduce the damage caused by fireworks misuse.

“The consultation also highlighted the wider harm that can be caused to members of our communities, including our ex-service people and those with underlying mental health issues. The serious distress and occasional injury caused to animals around times of celebration has also been highlighted as a specific concern.

“I will update Parliament shortly on our intended action to ensure fireworks are used safely and appropriately.”

Scottish SPCA head of education and policy Gilly Mendes Ferreira said: “We’re pleased so many members of the public have voiced their opinion and cited animal welfare as one of the reasons to restrict the public sale and use of fireworks. For years we have supported tighter restrictions on public use due to the stress and anxiety that can be caused to animals.

“Over the years the Scottish SPCA has received a handful of calls relating to an animal that has been injured due to the direct misuse of fireworks. The majority of calls relate to animals that have become injured through trying to escape the noise of fireworks.

“Incidents include dogs running on to roads and being hit by oncoming traffic, birds, such as swans, flying into electricity pylons and horses being badly injured after running through barbed wire fences. We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to improve animal welfare surrounding the use of fireworks.”

The Scottish Government’s consultation on fireworks ran for 13 weeks and received 16,420 responses from members of the public and stakeholder organisations. The process included 29 public events around Scotland.

A consultation on fireworks in Scotland: your experiences, your ideas, your views. Analysis of responses to the public consultation exercise