Fire Service Rescues of Obese People in the UK

Figures revealed today by the BBC show sharp rise in cases of UK fire services rescuing obese people. This happens when somebody is unable to leave a home or other premises due to their size. According to reports from fire services, this sometimes involves modification or even destruction of the locations in order to remove the person. These cases, referred to as 'bariatric rescues' have been recorded since 2012 and in this time have increased from 709 per year in 2012-13 to 944 in 2015-16. The fire service called upon to perform the most rescues was South Wales, with 77 of their 1.4 million population finding themselves in such a situation.