The decision comes in reaction to an increase in the number of assaults on firemen across the United Kingdom.
These cameras will begin capturing both audio and video recordings on May 1, 2023, allowing the Service to learn from difficult occurrences, celebrate and share best practices, and record evidence for investigations following fires and other activities.
According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, 983 firefighters were assaulted in the United Kingdom in the year leading up to April 2022, a 5% rise from the previous year.
Sixty of these occurrences resulted in injuries, with some requiring hospitalisation. The most common type of event was verbal abuse (55%), followed by objects thrown at firefighters and equipment (28%), physical abuse (6%), harassment (2%), and other acts of violence (9%).
In light of these numbers, the National Fire Chiefs Council is pushing for harsher penalties for those who assault firefighters, highlighting that these assaults are heinous and that firefighters ought to be treated with dignity.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Group Manager David Diggins stated,
“The benefits that body worn video camera footage will bring to the Service can really transform how we do things.”
“Enabling our crews to continuously improve through debriefing and learning will improve the effectiveness of our service delivery to our communities.”
“We also believe that our communities will support these measures as an effective means of protecting our firefighters while they are attempting to protect themselves, their homes, and their businesses.”
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service will utilise body-worn video cameras in accordance with Home Office Principles. It will be obvious, which means that camera wearers will declare when they are being recorded. All footage obtained will be properly managed and will adhere to general data protection regulations.
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