Firefighter recalls Bonfire Night terror as crews hit with bricks during call-out

A firefighter has recalled being “bombarded with stones” while responding to an incident on Bonfire Night last year.

Crew commander Jonny Milliken was leading a response to a spate of grass fires in Troon on November 3 when youths began trying to climb on the fire engine and throwing bricks.

Mr Milliken, an on-call firefighter, condemned the behaviour, saying he and his colleagues are “local people trying to do their best for their town.”

Recalling the night, he said: “The stones were rattling off the side of the fire appliance.

Crew commander Jonny Milliken was leading a response when he and his crew came under attack. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

“We decided to keep all crew inside the appliance to ensure their safety. After being bombarded with stones, we had to retreat and leave the area.”

While the crew was aware of antisocial behaviour, Mr Milliken said he and his crew were “completely shocked”. by the experience.

He continued: “As on-call firefighters, we live and work in our community. All the firefighters who attended the incident were from Troon.

“We are just local guys trying to do the absolute best we can for our town. We are real people with real lives in our local community, and we deserve to be respected and allowed to do our job properly.”

November 5 is typically one of the busiest nights of the year for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), and last year, firefighters across Scotland were attacked nine times within eight hours.

SFRS said they received 892 calls on Bonfire Night in 2023, with Operations Control staff mobilising to 355 bonfires.

Statistics released by Care of Burns in Scotland (COBIS) found that 37 people accessed emergency treatment for fireworks-related injuries between November 4 and 6 last year.

The organisation said the safest way to enjoy fireworks is public events and is urging people to attend those rather than hosting their own.

Deputy chief officer Andy Watt, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s director of Prevention, Protection and Preparedness, said: “We want people to enjoy themselves at times of celebration, but we want them to do so safely and think of others, including our crews who are working hard to respond to emergencies.

“Bonfires and fireworks go hand in hand at this time of year, and we advise people to go to an organised event wherever possible. This is the safest way to enjoy firework displays and bonfires.”

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: “Fire crews and other emergency services workers do an outstanding job protecting communities over the Bonfire Night period and any attack on them is utterly despicable.

“Such assaults endanger 999 workers and can prevent crews from reaching those in emergency situations who desperately need help.”

“Attacks on 999 crews using fireworks or pyrotechnics are aggravating factors that courts can take into account when sentencing offenders,” she said.

“We have also introduced a ban on providing fireworks to under-18s and provided local authorities with powers to designate firework control zones within their boundaries.”

Brown added: “These new powers will be used for the first time this year in areas across Edinburgh over the Bonfire Night period.”