A 37-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a firefighter by hitting him over the head with a weight lifting bar.
The firefighter was trying to enter the property to extinguish then flame when he was attacked by a metal pole, which led him to fall on their back.
Detective Sergeant Andy Buxton of Nottinghamshire Police is leading the investigation. He said:”This was a shocking incident which has seen a firefighter injured in the course of his duties. Thankfully, more serious injuries were averted due to the firefighters headgear taking most of the blow.
“Emergency Services were called to Helston Drive in Strelley at around 2am this morning following a report of a fire.
“Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene quickly and they used a ladder to enter the house to extinguish the fire.
“A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, affray and attempted GBH. He remains in police custody.
“Being assaulted in the line of duty is not part of the job for any emergency services. The report will now be investigated to establish the full circumstances.
“Nottinghamshire Police is committed to protecting our communities and this is an unfortunate reminder of the dangers we face on a daily basis.
“If you have any information or witnessed the incident, please do not hesitate to contact us on 101 and quote incident number 22 of 20 December 2020.”
Group Manager Tom Archer said: “We attend incidents to keep our communities safe, not to be assaulted or abused.
“Thankfully our firefighter’s helmet protected him from this assault however this is not it’s intended use. We strive to build better communities and have safety at the forefront of our minds when attending incidents.
“To hear that one of our firefighters was assaulted is something we do not tolerate and will always report this to our partners at the Police.”
