Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) is thanking people across the communities it serves during another busy Bonfire Night period for the Service.
The period surrounding 5th November sees TWFRS experience additional demand on operational crews, Control Room colleagues and duty officers. The weeks running up to Bonfire Night are also a busy time for the Service’s prevention and education team.
Our Control Room team received 438 emergency 999 calls on Wednesday, 5th November – a significantly busy 24 hours, but a 9% drop compared to the same date in 2024 (481 calls).
Between 1st and 5th November, we handled a total of 819 emergency calls, down 4% from the same period last year (851 calls).
In the lead-up to Bonfire Night, TWFRS delivered 73 fire safety sessions across 26 schools, helping 11,412 young people receive essential fire safety advice from prevention and education officers.
Paul Russell, Area Manager for Community Safety, stated: “We want to thank our staff, crews, community groups, and partners in the region, along with the residents we serve, for their support during our busiest time of year.
“As always, our Control Room team, operational crews, and duty officers responded efficiently to the surge of calls and requests, handling incidents swiftly and effectively.
“Our fire service collaborates with communities in Tyne and Wear throughout the year to educate individuals of all ages about the dangers of deliberate fire-setting and its potential impacts on themselves and others. These messages are especially important as we approach Bonfire Night.
“We also extend our gratitude to our partners for their support during this period, including our colleagues in blue light services, local authorities, housing associations, schools, and hospitals in the region.”
TWFRS would like to thank everyone who supported the Service during the start of the Darker Nights period – including our firefighters, Firefighter Control, Prevention and Education, and Fire Safety teams – for helping deliver key safety messages. We’re also grateful to our external partners across the region for their continued collaboration.
Anyone wishing to report incidents of antisocial behaviour relating to deliberate fire-setting can call Firestoppers anonymously by ringing 0800 169 5558 or by completing an online form www.firestoppersreport.co.uk
About the Author
Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service serves a resident population of 1.104 million divided amongst the five constituent councils of Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland in the North East of England.
