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Tackling Attacks on Fire Crews in the UK

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Tackling Attacks on Fire Crews in the UK The Fire Brigades Union Easy targets? Tackling attacks on fire crews in the UK A report by the Labour Research Department (LRD) for the Fire Brigades Union February 2008 2 Foreword It is never acceptable for anyone to go to work and have to put up with verbal abuse or physical assault. Yet that is what fire crews are now facing on a daily basis in some areas of the United Kingdom. It is almost unimaginable that firefighters trying to save a life or someone’s home will be attacked or abused on the way to the incident or at the incident itself. Yet that is what is happening at least 40 times a day – and possibly a lot more often. The consequences can be grave for the fire crews involved. Physical injury is an obvious outcome but the threat of attack or persistent verbal abuse can demoralise, cause anxiety and increase stress, all of which damage your health. While fire crews and appliances are the direct targets the victims are those who live in these communities. A delay getting to a 999 incident can result in more serious injury or death for those trapped. Most of these attacks are carried out by children and teenagers. But some involve adults and middle age men. Frustration, boredom, alcohol and drug use can all fuel the problems of youngsters living on communities and estates that feel on the margins of society. The outcome can be recreational violence aimed at whatever represents the wider society these youngsters feel excluded from. It may explain why the highest number of attacks are in areas characterised by poor housing, poverty and no facilities. Understanding why it happens is not to condone or accept it, but to help us address it. When the fire service engages with these youngsters in these communities we know it works. The fire service can reach youngsters and communities that others struggle to make an impact on. The Fire Brigades Union has again conducted extensive research into this important area. We have done so because it affects the health and safety of our members. We believe we have also carried out an important piece of work on behalf of the whole Fire and Rescue Service. Others within the service are taking this issue seriously but there remains too much neglect. Government needs to take a lead rather than sitting on the sidelines ignoring the problem. There needs to be a Government-led national strategy backed up by long-term funding for and an expansion of our community engagement programmes. Government has a central role to play. It is time for it to play it. MATT WRACK GENERAL SECRETARY 3 Contents Executive summary........................................................................................................................................................6 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................................8 1. The scale of the problem....................................................................................................................10 1.1 Official statistics.....................................................................................................................................10 1.2 Fire and Rescue Service figures........................................................................................................13 1.3 Under-reporting ......................................................................................................................................18 2. Strategies and policies .........................................................................................................................20 2.1 National guidance..................................................................................................................................20 2.2 Individual policies in Fire and Rescue Services..........................................................................24 2.3 Risk assessment .....................................................................................................................................27 3. Prevention measures ...............................................................................................................................29 3.1 Youth Inclusion Strategies ..................................................................................................................29 3.2 Education and Public Awareness.....................................................................................................32 3.3 Training.......................................................................................................................................................33 4. Control measures........................................................................................................................................34 4.1 Police Assistance....................................................................................................................................34 4.2 Dynamic Risk Assessment..................................................................................................................34 4.3 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) ......................................................................................................35 4.4 Communication Procedures ..............................................................................................................37 4.5 Incident Command System................................................................................................................38 4.6 Aide Memoire ..........................................................................................................................................38 4.7 Vehicle and Equipment Security ......................................................................................................38 4.8 Lone Working ...........................................................................................................................................39 4.9 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ............................................................................................39 4 5. Management issues ..................................................................................................................................40 5.1 Reporting of Violence at Work...........................................................................................................40 5.2 Seasonal Trends .....................................................................................................................................41 5.3 Training and Awareness .......................................................................................................................41 5.4 Media Strategy ........................................................................................................................................42 5.5 In Depth Review of Social Behaviour .............................................................................................42 5.6 Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) ..........................................................................................43 5.7 Data Capture measures .......................................................................................................................43 5.8 Welfare ........................................................................................................................................................43 6. Findings ................................................................................................................................................................45 7. Recommendations......................................................................................................................................50 References ..........................................................................................................................................................................52 Appendix: Official figures for attacks on firefighters ............................................................54 5 Executive summary Attacks on fire crews – from physical abuse to missiles the deployment of community support officers in place thrown to verbal abuse – continue to be a significant of fully trained officers with the powers of arrest. hazard in the fire service. There are few signs of Firefighters and FBU representatives are keen to improvement in recent years. maintain the neutrality of their profession from law enforcement and are unhappy with police riding in Official figures on attacks on firefighters are woefully appliances. inadequate. In England and Wales, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) claim that This research found little evidence that Closed Circuit attacks have fallen from 1,300 in 2005-06 to 400 in Television (CCTV) is an effective deterrent against 2006-07 is false. Figures in Scotland have recorded on attacks on firefighters. Many firefighters and FBU average over 300 attacks a year for four years. Figures representatives said it undermined their efforts to for Northern Ireland are not collected in the same way foster better relations with the communities they serve. as the rest of the UK. The current technical limitations of CCTV have meant that most camera footage is unsuitable for New figures collected from every fire and rescue service prosecutions. in the UK under the Freedom of Information Act suggest that officially there are more than 2,000 There are
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