Scots firefighters who had been brutally attacked on Bonfire Night time final yr after they responded to a gasoline leak have urged folks to attended organised shows this yr. Crew Commander Glen Reid and his colleagues from Cumbernauld Neighborhood Hearth Station had been attacked in a stunning incident on November 5, 2021, once they had been pelted with bricks and stones.
The crew had been making an attempt to extinguish the blaze once they had been attacked and Mr Reid stated they "could not really consider it" after youths began to assault them. "We needed to retreat again to the fireplace equipment the place the car then got here underneath assault," he stated.
"We realised that we could not get out of the road as a result of it had been blocked off with wheelie bins. Police attended the scene and the youths ran away."
The firefighter, who has labored with the Scottish Hearth and Rescue Service for about 20 years, stated anti-social behaviour places "added pressure" on emergency companies. "Somebody might have been critically harm and this type of behaviour places an added pressure on emergency companies. As we get nearer to Bonfire Night time this yr we might urge folks to at all times go to an organised occasion," he stated.
Three of Mr Reid's colleagues obtained minor accidents throughout the incident in Cumbernauld. Two attended hospital and had been discharged the identical night. Their hearth engine additionally sustained floor injury.
Bonfire Night time is the fireplace service's busiest night time and in 2021 there have been eight reported assaults on crews and three accidents. Firefighters throughout Scotland additionally responded to greater than 370 bonfires throughout an eight-hour interval on November 5 final yr.
Between October 8 and November 5, crews additionally responded to 880 deliberate secondary fires together with grass and bin fires.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry, Scottish Hearth and Rescue Service's head of prevention and safety, stated: "Assaults on our firefighters are fully unacceptable and are carried out by a small minority. We all know that our crews have a variety of assist inside our communities.
"We would like folks to get pleasure from themselves at instances of celebration however we wish them to take action safely and consider others, together with our crews who're working exhausting to answer emergencies. Bonfires and fireworks go hand in hand right now of yr, and we advise folks to go to an organised occasion wherever doable and at all times observe the Fireworks Code."
The Scottish Hearth and Rescue Service's web site has a listing of organised occasions going down throughout Scotland in addition to security recommendation for members of the general public.
Do not miss the most recent information from round Scotland and past - Signal as much as our day by day e-newsletter right here.