Last weekend, CFA volunteers were set upon and attacked by a mob of youths after being called to a deliberatly lit car fire.

The following was reported in one newspaper:
"Eight people have been arrested over the weekend after a drunken mob beat up firefighters putting out a blaze at a country Victorian BMX bike event.

On Saturday afternoon, Country Fire Authority volunteer firefighters were called by residents worried about a large plume of smoke coming from a BMX track near Bendigo in central Victoria.

When they arrived at the Strathfieldsaye track, they found a car that had been deliberately set alight and about 250 people, many of them drunk.

"They threw stubbies at the volunteer firefighters, physically fought with them and got on the fire truck and attempted to interfere with its operations," Bendigo Sergeant Tony Commadeur told AAP.

"The CFA called for assistance from police, one car drove into a volatile situation where a main bunch of 10-15 people surrounded them in a semi-circle and were closing in.

"They were told to back off, they didn't, so we used capsicum spray on one and then they got the message that we were not going to take it."

Sgt Commadeur described the incident in which volunteer emergency workers were physically attacked while trying to put out a dangerous fire as "outrageous".

"One CFA guy pulled up pretty sore, he was dragging people away from the truck after they jumped on it to interfere with their equipment," he said.

"They turned on him and hit him.

"It's disgraceful, no way in the world is that behaviour normal, to be intimidating towards or assault sacred volunteer community personnel such as CFA, SES (State Emergency Service), paramedics who are protecting lives and property.

"If the car had exploded, 250 people's lives would have been at risk."

The car was being used for daredevil "Evel Knievel" style bike tricks.

No one has been charged yet and Sgt Commadeur admitted police did not know who had organised the event, but investigations were continuing.

The event is known as the 'B-town Trailjam' and has been running for nearly a decade but is not officially sanctioned, with police being called there last year over a burning mattress.

This year it was believed to have been advertised over the internet through forums such as MySpace.''



And this news report of the incident:

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after thinking about this one, I think it would have been kind of cool to have a police dog there to take a bite our of crime...
I like the deck gun idea but I would put a cop behind the turret... they get paid for doing stuff like that, I don't...
The deck gun is a bad idea- it just makes us even more of a target for their hatred.

Next time it happens, they'll remember that the fire fighters "attacked" them and will be more hell bent on retribution. Even with a cop behind it, it's still our truck....

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