Edinburgh was once again plunged into chaos on Bonfire Night with reports of firefighters being attacked, ‘fireworks being aimed at cars’ and riot police being dispatched.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) reported two crew members were attacked on Tuesday night in the capital, while another was targeted in West Lothian. These attacks on crews occurred within a three-hour period however no injuries have been reported according to Edinburgh Live.
A spokesperson for the service revealed they received over 1,000 calls in an eight-hour period this November 5. For the East Scotland crew, this included 329 calls, two attacks, and attendance at 63 bonfires.
Andy Watt, Deputy Chief Officer for the SFRS, praised crews saying: “I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and resilience of our frontline crews. Operations Control firefighters answered over 1,000 calls tonight and have once again worked tirelessly to ensure we respond to those who need us the most.
“Unfortunately, several of our crews came under attack across Scotland, with six attacks within three hours. Crews were bombarded with missiles and fireworks while responding to emergency incidents.
“These attacks prevent our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion, and can impact on our emergency service colleagues – including the police when they must escort us at the scene.
“This type of behaviour is, of course, carried out by a very small minority and we once again thank our communities for their continuing support and working together with us to stay safe across the Bonfire period.”
According to initial reports, firefighters responded to 347 bonfires and 598 incidents across Scotland between 3.30pm and 11.30pm on Tuesday.
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