Emergency services across Salford and Greater Manchester have joined forces to warn the community of anti-social behaviour over Halloween and Bonfire night.
Last year incidents of anti-social behaviour relating to nuisance from fireworks rose by 2%, with 1,020 cases recorded. Attacks on firefighters also increased, prompting renewed efforts to engage with communities to keep people safe.
In an attempt to reduce similar behaviour this Halloween, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue crews and outreach teams are visiting schools across the local area.
They will be sharing safety advice around bonfires, fireworks and how to act responsibly during the autumn festivities.
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger communities said: “Each year, the vast majority of our Greater Manchester residents enjoy Halloween and Bonfire Night in a safe a respectful way which we greatly appreciate.
“However, there will be a minority who act in an unacceptable way and cause distress to residents and communities through their anti-social behaviour, hoax calls that take our firefighters away from attending serious, legitimate incidents and attacks on emergency workers who are trying to help.”
Green reminded parents to make sure they’re aware of their children’s whereabouts and what they’re getting up to during this period.
Children’s Halloween costumes are also currently classified as toys. So it’s important to check they are UKCA or CE marked to ensure they meet the required safety standards.
All garments have a risk of being flammable, it’s important to keep them away from naked flames, such as candles.
Halloween and Bonfire Night period is one of the busiest times of year for emergency services, so attending organised firework displays and bonfire events are being encouraged where possible.
The fire crew have urged the community to remind themselves of the firework code if they have no other option than to have fireworks at home.
One of the codes is making sure the purchased fireworks are marked UKCA or CE.
The fire crews are already working on this and between October 15 and November 20, fire safety inspectors will carry out more than 100 inspections at licensed premises across Greater Manchester to ensure fireworks are being stored safely within licensing conditions.
Matt Hamer, Director for Community Safety and Training said: “The Halloween and Bonfire Night period is one of the busiest times of the year for our emergency services, and we want everyone to enjoy the celebrations safely and responsibly.
“Deliberately setting fires, misusing fireworks or attacking emergency service workers is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences. Our firefighters are there to protect communities and should never face abuse, violence or intimidation while carrying out their duties.”
Superintendent Mike Russel, GMP’s force lead for anti-social behaviour is reassuring the community that they will continue to work on tackling anti-social behaviour during the upcoming weeks.
He said: “We know just how distressing this period can be for some people, and I want to reassure them that we will be proactively working over the coming weeks to take action against any anti-social behaviour. I would urge people to get in touch with any information they have, or if they are having any ongoing issues in their area.”
