Data collected by Legal Expert has cast light on the threat faced by firefighters around the UK and led to Matt Wrack, then-general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, calling for urgent change.
The information, which was gathered through Freedom of Information requests sent to nearly 40 fire services around the UK, shows that members of the public attacked crew members on thousands of occasions.
Firefighters were subjected to physical attacks, verbal assault and threats of violence, with numerous missiles thrown at them and their appliances during operations.
National stats suggest worrying trend for firefighters
Statistics published by the Home Office indicate that there were 96 injuries suffered from attacks during England-based operational incidents in 2023/24. Not only was this a rise of more than 25% on the year before, but it was the highest figure recorded in any of the past 15 years, and a 284% increase on the 25 cases noted in 2014/15.
Firefighters suffered 82 slight injuries and 14 serious injuries, according to the data.
Before leaving his role in January, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack called for greater trust and protection for firefighters when responding to the data collected by Legal Expert.
Wrack said:
Firefighters must be able to respond to emergencies everywhere without fear of abuse or injury from attacks.
It is vital that fire and rescue services retain and build trust with local communities, but community engagement projects have been cut while firefighters are sent out with fewer resources and smaller crews.
Some services are now overseen by police commissioners, which jeopardises public perception of the service as independent and humanitarian.
We need investment in the fire and rescue service to reduce the risks firefighters face while they are protecting others.
Over 1,000 incidents shared by two fire services
West Midlands Fire Service took in 666 reports of violent activity between April 2020 and November 2024–with the data covering a period more than a year shorter than that of most other services.
There were 449 cases of verbal abuse, at a rate above one every four days. Only three other services across the UK reported more instances of physical or verbal attacks in six years than the 180 seen in the West Midlands in 2023 alone.
Also returning a significant number of cases was Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. The North West’s largest service had 372 separate incidents between November 2019 and October 2024.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service flagged 327 incidents across 2019-2023 and most of 2024. This includes 140 in the Newcastle area, with the Tyneside city having more assault reports than all but three regions, excluding Tyne and Wear, in the entire country.
Kent (190), South Wales (139), and London (104) were also host to more than 100 incidents.
It was not the same story everywhere. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service claimed to have had no incidents whatsoever, while other populous areas like Merseyside (five), West Yorkshire (seven) and Lancashire (12) returned relatively small figures.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service confirmed only ten cases to Legal Expert, stating that it was sharing details only of incidents which led to crew members suffering injuries.
Detailed Staffordshire reports give insight into everyday threats
Fire service staff have felt the strain in recent years, with one report showing a 40% rise in mental health-related absences.
Multiple services also saw staff miss significant amounts of time because of attacks by members of the public. The London Fire Brigade lost 372 working days due to assault-related absence, 259 of which involved staff in Barnet. Northern Irish staff were also significantly affected, with three injured crew members missing 103 days between them.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, which noted 56 incidents including 17 physical assaults, provided summaries of its reports. They paint a picture of firefighters facing needless violence in many scenarios.
An April 2022 case noted how the family member of a person who died in an incident attacked one firefighter, scratching their face, then “tried to run down” two more.
In another incident, Tamworth Fire Station was informed that a first responder was struck on the ankle when a member of the public threw tiles from the roof of a building.
Rugeley Fire Station received a report in 2020 of one shovel-wielding occupier refusing to let staff enter the property to tackle a fire.
Even training was not without risk, as one station reported two young people, including one carrying a knife, confronted staff during a course.
Another report noted that while staff were filming for Safe + Sound, a programme aiming to “educate children about safety in a fun and interactive way”, they were verbally abused and threatened by a member of the public.
Firefighters at risk
On 39 occasions, staff experienced a noteworthy amount of verbal abuse while carrying out tasks. This included two incidents where protestors at an NHS vaccination clinic for children hurled abuse at staff while blocking access routes.
Fire services across the UK shared reports of missiles being thrown, with objects including bricks, stones, eggs and fireworks all aimed at staff.
Hospitalisation was not an uncommon factor of assaults, as numerous services shared reports of at least one staff member needing medical attention because of an assault suffered on the job.
Legal Expert offers free advice to emergency service workers considering civil action for injuries suffered in an assault at work. Those interested in learning their legal options can call 0800 073 8804 or contact Legal Expert online.
Featured image via the Canary
