The Shameful Truth: Why Even Firefighters Now Need Bodycams To Stay Safe

They run into burning buildings to save lives but now face abuse from the public. Discover the disturbing reality forcing fire crews to record their own rescues.

There was a time when firefighters were untouchable heroes in the public eye. Respected. Welcomed. Admired. But now, in 2025, even they need body-worn cameras just to do their jobs in safety.

This week, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) announced that it will begin trialling body-worn cameras on some of its crews. The aim? To “enhance staff safety and capture video at incidents”, according to the official statement. But the real story here is what this decision says about how much has changed.

In the initial phase, Fire Investigation Officers and Response Officers will wear the body cameras. While it’s clear that this tech will have benefits—supporting post-incident reviews, helping with training, and improving the service’s operational response—the primary driver is far more sobering: protecting firefighters from abuse.

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Yes, you read that right. Firefighters—the very people who run toward danger to save lives—are now being equipped with bodycams in case someone decides to turn on them. It’s a reality we document regularly in our catalogue of serious assaults on emergency workers, which includes not only police officers, paramedics, nurses, and EMTs but firefighters too. You can explore that section of our site here.

SFRS’s Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Sally Wilson, put it clearly in the press release:

“The introduction of body worn cameras is a significant step for our service. Firefighter safety is absolutely paramount and although the number of attacks on our staff is very low, having had just two of this nature in the last year, any of these incidents are too many, and the cameras will help us improve their safety.

"It will also improve effectiveness of our operational response and support with any subsequent investigations which aids learning and development for our whole organisation.”

Two attacks sound low to some. But how did we get to a place where any attack on a firefighter is considered part of the job?

This isn’t an isolated move. The National Fire Chiefs Council has recommended that fire services across the UK adopt body-worn video after a worrying rise in assaults against crews. It follows a similar trajectory to what we’ve seen with emergency ambulance crews and paramedics in recent years—many of whom already wear bodycams in response to an epidemic of physical and verbal abuse.

Let’s pause on that.

We now live in a country where both our paramedics and firefighters—those who come to save us at our worst moments—need to strap on cameras just in case they’re attacked for doing their jobs.

It’s not just sad. It’s shameful.

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Of course, body-worn cameras will also bring operational value. Video footage can help with debriefs, training, and investigations, and in a profession where every second and decision can be critical, that kind of learning is vital. But make no mistake: the technology is being introduced, first and foremost, because too many frontline workers are facing hostility instead of gratitude.

And for those in the community who stand up and support emergency workers when they’re threatened—thank you. Every time a member of the public steps in, speaks up, or stands beside these crews, it sends a message that this behaviour won’t be tolerated. That community courage matters more now than ever.

Still, the fact remains: something has gone deeply wrong in our public culture when life-saving professionals need to record their interactions to feel safe.

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The Hidden Rise in Violence Against Firefighters

It’s the kind of job that should inspire nothing but respect. But for hundreds of firefighters across the UK every year, what they face instead is verbal abuse, threats, and even physical attack. Now, exclusive analysis by ESN Report of official data spanning the last decade shows something even more disturbing: while the overall number of attacks fluctuates, the severity of these assaults is rising—and fast.

In 2023/24, 96 firefighters in England were injured during attacks while on duty, the highest figure in over a decade and nearly four times higher than the number recorded in 2014/15. That kind of escalation, combined with deeply concerning regional hotspots and the increasing need for body-worn cameras, paints a picture of a frontline job that is becoming more dangerous—not because of fire, but because of people.

In this Premium section, we dig deep into the numbers:

• How firefighter assaults have changed over the past 10 years

• Where these incidents are happening most

• Why more firefighters are getting hurt, even as total incident numbers fluctuate

• What the data tells us about the state of public trust and respect

Subscribe now to access the full analysis and support advert-free reporting that puts emergency workers first.