A quote from The Daily Telegraph, 11 February 2008

Firefighters are being subjected to an increasing number of violent attacks despite Government claims to the contrary, new figures show. Crews are regularly being spat on and pelted with bricks, bottles, burning wood and stones as they try to save lives across England and Wales.

The Fire Brigades Union has revealed that assaults increased by 15 per cent last year, […] The union's report, Easy Targets?, revealed a catalogue of serious assaults. It claims about 40 attacks occur every week, ranging from stabbings and shootings to ambushes where firefighters are pelted with bottles or bricks. In one incident, an entire crew was taken to hospital after a gang armed with sticks and scaffolding poles attacked them.