West Midlands Fire Service has called for greater prosecution of people involved in threatening and violent behaviour towards fire crews.

The call comes after a 145 per cent increase in attacks on firefighters and control staff in the West Midlands over the last 12 months (from 77 in 2008/09 to 189 in 2009/10), and the successful prosecution of two men for using threatening behaviour towards a fire crew in Bloxwich and criminal damage of equipment..

West Midlands Fire Service Chief Fire Officer, Vij Randeniya, said that the growing number of attacks against firefighters was “astonishing and shocking”: “If someone is violent towards fire service personnel, while they are going about their daily business making our communities safer, then we will push to prosecute them to the full extent of the law. Violence to this extent is something we are not willing to accept or ignore.”

The first prosecution in the West Midlands for a violent attack on firefighters was concluded last month. One man received a three month supervision order, three month curfew and £500 fine after admitting attacking a fire hose with an axe following a fire at Stag Hill in Bloxwich.

A second man pleaded not guilty to a charge of obstructing an emergency worker, but was found guilty at a trial in his absence at Walsall Magistrates Court and is awaiting sentence.

Andy Dennis, of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said: “I fully support the successful prosecutions and hope that they send a clear message that these attacks will not be tolerated.”

Over the past 12 months, firefighters and control staff in the West Midlands have faced a range of threats and violence, ranging from verbal abuse and having missiles thrown at them to being threatened with a machete and having booby trapped gas canisters placed in fires.

Vij added: “Because of the mindless actions of a minority of people, part of our approach is to have CCTV cameras on many of our fire engines. This is designed to help us catch those who are behaving in such a disgraceful way by providing evidence to the police”

“Our staff provide an invaluable service to the public. We’ll always respond to a call for help, even if it’s in an area where we’ve previously had violent incidents, because you never know when someone might genuinely need our help.”

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