Taree Fire and Rescue captain Paul Murray is frustrated at the lack of respect for emergency services in areas of the town, following numerous rock attacks on firefighting crews.
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A fire crew was pelted with rocks on October 5 after responding to a call at Bushland Drive, the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting emergency services.
It comes after the Taree crew had the windscreen of one of their firetrucks smashed by a rock as they were driving to a job on Bushland Drive on September 10.
The truck, one of two at the Taree station, had to be taken offline to be repaired in Sydney.
Firefighter Peter Ince was driving the truck when the incident occurred.
“It’s a bit confronting, it’s not something you think about happening when you’re on the way to help people,” he said.
“At the end of the day we’ve got a job to do, but you do have to consider your own safety.”
While no one was hurt in either incident, captain Murray said it was a concerning trend that seemed to be worsening.
“From time to time we have a few problems, but it’s definitely getting worse now,” he said.
“Guys are getting nervous about going out there to those areas.”
“(With the October 5 incident) we were responding to a call about a small grass fire and then undertook hazard reduction burns.”
Murray said they were talking to a group of children who suddenly disappeared into the dark.
Moments later the crew were pelted with rocks.
“When you’re working at night in torchlight you can’t see the rocks coming,” he said.
“We were lucky no one was hurt.”
In a further blow, the Taree station was broken into on September 18.
The door was kicked apart and an iPad was stolen during the break-in.
“You feel violated,” Murray said.
Murray said that the current trend was disappointing for the emergency services who often risk their own welfare to help the public.
“We’re out there to help people. One day those people might need our help.”