There was no let up for the SIAMU (fire fighting and emergency medical assistance crews) in Brussels-Capital on New Year’s Eve. Car and bin fires, a multitude of ambulance calls and an attack on a fire crew punctuated their shift on December 31st, 2017 until 8 a.m. on January 1st, 2018.
The firemen were particularly shocked by the attack on a fire crew in its fire engine, occurring around 12.30 a.m. on Rue Piers in Molenbeek on New Year’s Day. Pierre Meys explained to Belga, “Stones were thrown at the vehicle and the fire engine suffered damage. Fortunately none of our men were injured.” Pierre Meys is the spokesman for SIAMU Brussels-Capital.
The firemen recorded 134 so-called “red operations” (fire engine call-outs) of which 8 were for car fires in Anderlecht, Saint-Josse, Molenbeek and Schaerbeek, 60 for bin fires, 5 for general fires and a further 61 for minor assistance services (people trapped, cleaning the public highway and other related services).
On New Year’s Eve the service saw 400 ambulance call-outs, being urgent medical incidents. Such interventions concerned “traditional” cases for this time of year (for example illnesses, street fights, and other similar incidents).
The Brussels Times
