Police officers will be embedded in fire stations and will travel with fire crews to callouts in Scotland on Bonfire Night, as part of the country’s biggest police operation since the visit of President Donald Trump last summer. The new initiative, Operation Amberlight, is designed to protect firefighters from attacks while they respond to incidents.

As many as 1,700 officers could be deployed on and around Thursday 5 November 2026 to deal with fireworks-related disorder, a European football match involving Celtic and potential protests in Glasgow. Additional public order vehicles and drivers are being brought in from 18 English and Welsh police forces under mutual aid arrangements. Scotland’s annual public order operation for Halloween and Bonfire Night, Operation Moonbeam, is now in its ninth year.

Ten fire stations in the Glasgow area

Under Operation Amberlight, police officers will be based at 10 fire stations across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, so they can accompany crews to incidents in the areas judged most at risk. In recent years emergency crews have been pelted with petrol bombs and missiles on Bonfire Night, although police said there were fewer such incidents last year. Anyone caught up in disorder will face very real consequences, police have warned.

According to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, around 20 organised fireworks displays have taken place across Scotland in the last five days, with a further 79 planned. Fireworks Control Zones, where it is an offence to set off fireworks, have been expanded from 12 to 18 this year. Police Scotland said it received 144 fireworks-related calls on Halloween night, and officers have already seized 350kg of fireworks worth around £12,000 that were set to be sold online.

Sources: BBC, Police to escort fire crews in latest crackdown on Bonfire Night disorder, 4 November 2026; Britain Post, Police Scotland may deploy 1,700 officers for Bonfire Night disorder operation, 5 November 2026.