Attack on firefighters 'out of the blue'

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Yesterday's attack on two firefighters was an isolated incident despite a recent increase in assaults on emergency workers, the Fire Service says.

A crew of four volunteers from the Rai Valley brigade responded to what was reported as a single vehicle car crash on Mahakipawa Rd in the Marlborough Sounds town of Havelock about 1.20am on Sunday.

They were instead confronted with an "agitated and aggressive" group of about 20 drunk people milling around a car.

They were set upon, with one firefighter kicked in the head and another hit in the face, before they quickly fled the scene, leaving all their gear behind.

Fire Service spokesperson Scott Sargentina said he did not know of any other attacks on firefighters.

"This is one completely out of the blue," Mr Sargentina said. "It doesn't signal an increase in this sort of incident."

He said the incident would not change the way the fire service would approach callouts.

"We will continue to turn out. Obviously our brigades in remote areas don't expect this sort of activity.

"It is certainly unacceptable."

Fire Service acting regional manager Peter Dempsey said the volunteers responded well to "a nasty situation", but it was upsetting they had been set upon by people they thought were in need of help.

"We're most upset about the fact that our people are coming under this sort of attack and situation," he said.

"We do have some quite robust procedures anyway for this sort of situation, but obviously what happens to catch us out is that we're called to what seems to be a genuine situation ... and it virtually erupts upon our arrival."

The Fire Service would look into the details of what occurred.

The current procedure was to retreat immediately if there was clearly "all sorts of mayhem going on", but sometimes there were no signs of danger until the crew had left the fire engine.

"Then suddenly, for whatever reason, some violence erupts and so they have to retreat," Mr Dempsey said.

"Like all emergency services, we unfortunately do come under this sort of threat at times."

One firefighter who came under attack, who asked not to be named, said he was kicked around the head and another crew member was hit in the face.

"I struggled with one guy then another guy went down on the ground with the fellow, then another guy came in and kicked me a few times."

Both received grazes and bruises around their face.

The man said he had no idea what provoked the mob.

"We were just all shocked, it was just something none of us had ever come across before, not in our town."

The man said he tried to keep things calm, but the crew quickly had to flee, leaving all their gear behind.

"I lost my helmet and that, and we just left everything... jumped in the truck, locked the doors and took off down the road until the police arrived."

The local police officer arrived soon after but was also outnumbered until backup arrived from Blenheim, 63km away.

Mr Sargentina said the fire service had procedures in place for the assaulted firefighters.

"Health and safety will work with them to provide any counselling or support they need.

Three people have been arrested for the attack and will appear in Blenheim District Court next week.

Attacks on other emergency workers have escalated in recent years.

On Friday, two police officers in Alexandra were attacked by a man suspected of damaging a police car, with one suffering a substantial blow to the head and the other a hit to the jaw and a bite on the arm.

Between the 2004-05 year and 2008-09, total assaults on police increased by a third, from 1869 to 2481, while serious assaults increased 38 per cent, from 298 to 412.

Figures show attacks on New Zealand ambulance officers have nearly tripled in the past seven years, from 16 in 2003-04 to 46 in the first half of this year alone.

Mr Dempsey said firefighters were less likely to be attacked than other emergency workers because there were usually "four reasonably burly people there hopping off our fire engine".

"With these cowardly sorts of attacks, if there's a small number of you, you're more vulnerable than with a larger number arriving."