Fire chief calls for action after fireworks attack (From Free Press Series)

Fire chief calls for action after fireworks attack

Firefighters have called for police to get tough on yobs after a crew was attacked with fireworks.

Abersychan firefighters called to a vehicle fire in Ivydene Close, Trevethin, at around 9.30pm last Friday came under attack from youths letting off fireworks.

Fortunately no-one was injured and the fire engine was not damaged.

Following this latest attack, fire crews in Torfaen are backing plans to set up a task force dedicated to tracking down hooligans who put firefighters and the public at risk.

Senior Divisional Officer from New Inn Ray Jones said: "People must be made aware that attacks on our crews not only result in injuries to our firefighters and damage to our fire engines and equipment, but also in resources being diverted from real emergencies.

"This may result in property, even lives, being needlessly lost.

"We are struggling to find reasons why our crews should be subjected to this sort of behaviour, but we are determined to work closely with all our partner agencies and through our Community Safety Partnerships to sort it out."

Torfaen crews are among the first to back the proposed Mobile Arson Rangers (MARS), who would work in pairs with the use of 4x4 vehicles and video cameras to identify hoax callers and attackers.

With Assembly funding, the Rangers could be on the streets as early as next spring.

They could get special constables' powers, to aid them in tracking down and identifying those who deliberately set fires or attack crews.

The MARS initiative may be drastic but fire crews claim it is necessary. Officer Jones said: "Firefighters continually put their lives on the line to protect the public.

"We can no longer accept this physical abuse and violence from people who see us as some sort of target.

"They seem to have forgotten that we are there to help people and make our communities safer."