Six rescues a day by London's firefighters
The brigade made 3,627 rescues since the start of 2024.
London Fire Brigade has rescued an average of six people a day since January 2024, a total of 3,627 rescues
The brigade has revealed 318 people were rescued from fires during the 18-month period, an average of four people a week
In total, firefighters carried out rescues from 43 types of emergencies; the most common rescue was helping someone collapsed behind a locked door
Other common types of rescues include people trapped in lifts or locked in their houses, and from road traffic collisions
Firefighters also rescue five people every week from special service incidents such as a child’s hand trapped in playground equipment or window cleaners trapped in their cradle
The Brigade is urging the public not to delay calling 999 if in need of rescue
Average of more than six rescues a day
New data from London Fire Brigade has revealed that firefighters rescued 3,627 people since January 2024 – an average of more than six people a day.
Firefighters rescued 318 people from fires over the past 18 months – an average of four people a week. The fire with the most rescues occurred in Upper Norwood, where crews rescued 10 people from a flat fire.
However, firefighters are skilled and trained to respond to a variety of incidents, and since 2024 they have carried out rescues from 43 different types of emergencies across London.
Firefighters rescued 1,754 people who had collapsed behind a locked door, 463 people from lifts, 389 people from special service incidents, 229 people who were locked in, 73 people from road traffic collisions, 68 people from water and mud incidents, 58 people from chemical incidents, and 275 people from other incident categories.
Not just carrying people out of burning buildings
Group Commander Shaun Coltress said: “When people think about rescues, they often imagine a firefighter carrying someone out of a burning building. But, as London’s rescue service, we are trained to carry out rescues in a variety of different ways.
“Our fire engines carry dozens of pieces of equipment, and firefighters are trained to adapt their skills to unique scenarios.”
The most common rescue was to someone collapsed behind a locked door, with three people a day, on average, needing help. Firefighters provide support to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) when someone is suspected to have collapsed behind a locked door and is need of medical attention. By using specialist techniques and equipment, the Brigade can help LAS crews gain entry to the property, enable them to treat the patient quickly, and with minimal damage to the property.
In addition, around five people are rescued every week by firefighters from other special service incidents, where no fire is involved and firefighters deploy the Brigade’s specialist equipment as part of their response. People frequently find themselves in tricky situations and need a helping hand. For example, in 2024 firefighters attended a person trapped in a cat flap, window cleaners trapped in their cradle at height, and a child with their head stuck in playground equipment. Additionally, in April 2024 firefighters rescued a man rescued a man trapped in a trench at a construction site in Charlton.
Water and chemical related rescues
Firefighters also rescue almost one person or animal every week from a water related incident. Working with the Brigade’s specialist fireboat and Fire Rescue Unit crews, firefighters have carried out rescues when a vessel is in trouble or a swimmer is in danger. Notably, in March 2024 firefighters rescued two children from the River Colne in West Drayton.
Every other week, firefighters rescue someone from a chemical incident, where firefighters work alongside specialist hazardous material (HAZMAT) teams to respond to incidents like gas leaks and the unsafe mixing of common cleaning products. For example, in August 2024 firefighters carried out rescues at a swimming pool in Wembley following a chlorine leak.
Don't delay dialling 999
Due to the high number of unique rescues attended by firefighters, the Brigade is urging the public to call 999 and not to be embarrassed in an emergency – the firefighters will almost certainly have attended a similar situation before.
Group Commander Coltress continued: “Sadly, our Control Officers sometimes receive calls where someone has been too embarrassed to call us and their situation has deteriorated for hours, or even days, before they have sought help.
“Whatever the emergency, we will provide advice and assistance without judgment. Most of our rescues are completed in less than an hour, so it’s much better to ask for help than to wait and risk further harm to yourself or others.”
Overall, the shortest rescues carried out by the Brigade take on average 20-30 minutes, such as non-emergency lift rescues and small animal rescues. The longest rescues take between two to three hours and include incidents like building collapses and flooding. The average duration of an incident involving a rescue is 43 minutes.{