Attacked Fire Officer Hit By Flying Glass

A fire crew has been attacked by a mob in Co Antrim.

The Fire Service were in the Stiles estate area of Antrim around 7pm on Thursday putting out a fire in a large industrial bin when a crowd of around 20 youths started throwing stones at them.

As the crew was leaving, a window in the fire engine was smashed and a firefighter had to be taken to hospital with glass in their eye.

It also caused the fire appliance to be taken 'off the run' as it was temporarily put out of action last night.

A spokesman for the Fire Service has appealed to community leaders to use their influence to try to stop such attacks as they potentially interfered with the service's ability to save lives.

Antrim Alliance Councillor Neil Kelly has condemned those behind the attack on a firefighter in Antrim.

He also expressed deep concern at the fact that a bin sitting against the Stiles Community Centre building was set alight and said he feared the centre might have been targeted.

Cllr Kelly said: "This was a despicable incident and people in the Stiles estate will be appalled at this.

"I hope the injured firefighter makes a full and swift recovery. Our emergency services provide a vital resource and they should be able to get on with their work free from attack or intimidation.

"I am also deeply concerned that people might be targeting a facility that is used by vulnerable people. One bin which was set alight was up against the building and I was told that if the fire had gone on for another 20 minutes and the whole building could have burned down.

"I would like to encourage people to keep attending this centre and not be dissuaded by the thoughtless act.

"Those behind these events must be swiftly brought to justice and I would urge anyone with information on this incident to contact police immediately," he said.

Ironically, today marked the Health & Public Safety Minister Michael McGimpsey's launch of a new public awareness campaign to raise awareness of a change in fire safety legislation.

The campaign, Fire Safe, will target those people who need to be aware of the change in law, as, from 15 November 2010 all non-domestic premises must hold a valid Fire Safety Risk Assessment. Responsibility for fire safety will rest with the employer or those with any degree of control over premises.

Mr McGimpsey said: "The new regulations will replace the current requirement for some premises to have fire certificates. Instead all non-domestic premises will be required to hold a valid fire safety risk assessment. Employers, owners, managers and landlords will be responsible for ensuring that fire safety risk assessments are carried out and measures to protect lives are put in place," he said.

Also, condemning yesterday's attack on the fire crew in Antrim, the Minister said that it was completely unacceptable for anyone to assault emergency workers: "Any attack on emergency workers is absolutely shameful. Last night's assault that resulted in a firefighter being injured and a fire appliance being damaged was disgraceful - and the cowards who carried it out put lives at risk," he said, noting his 'zero tolerance' approach to such attacks.

"Let me be clear that attacks on emergency workers will not be tolerated. Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and they should not have to face malicious attempts to stop them from doing their jobs.

"If these attacks do not stop, there is a very real risk that lives will be lost as a result. I would ask the perpetrators of this violence to think about the consequences of their actions before engaging in this criminal behaviour," he concluded.

(BMcC/GK)