Bariatric rescue data challenges claims about non-fire workload

Bariatric rescue data across UK fire services

UK fire and rescue services attended 15,849 bariatric rescue incidents between 2020 and 2025, with annual totals rising from 1,804 in 2020 to 3,183 in 2024, then falling to 2,539 in 2025.

ZAVA said it sent Freedom of Information requests to 49 UK fire and rescue services on 6 November 2025 to compile the dataset.

The dataset lists London Fire Brigade as the highest total over the period, with 2,025 incidents from 2020 to 2025.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service recorded 1,174 incidents, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service recorded 859 and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service recorded 747.

What the dataset says about time, costs and resourcing

ZAVA stated that UK fire and rescue services spent 553,609 minutes at bariatric “special service calls” since 2020, equivalent to 384.5 days of continuous time.

The dataset shows a 76% rise between 2020 and 2024, increasing from 1,804 incidents to 3,183.

ZAVA estimated London Fire Brigade’s resource cost at £1,033,295 across 2,025 incidents between 2020 and 2025.

ZAVA said London incidents were concentrated in Croydon at 195, followed by Greenwich at 151 and Bromley at 140.

Tom, a London Fire Brigade firefighter, said: “Staffing levels are shockingly low, with large numbers retiring, fewer firefighters coming through, and crews now carrying far less experience.

“I’ve ridden trucks where the officer had 25 years’ service, the driver four, and the rest of the crew less than two years between them.

“Stations are closing, appliances are being cut, and demand is rising, meaning those who remain are busier and increasingly under-resourced.”

Fireground implications described by London firefighter

ZAVA said the dataset equated to one bariatric rescue every 3 hours and 20 minutes from 2020 to October 2025.

Tom said: “Jobs that would be straightforward with a casualty of a healthier weight become physically damaging and exhausting.

“Removing a severely overweight casualty from a fire would mean working harder, using more air, and staying longer in a dangerous environment.

“This significantly increases the risks of heat exhaustion, collapse, and fire spread.

“With a healthier-weight casualty, we could manage extrication far more easily.

“Instead, bariatric rescues are time-consuming, place severe strain on firefighters’ backs, and increase risk, particularly in fire situations where air use and exposure time are critical.

“These rescues are rarely just about lifting.

“They often involve removing windows, doors, balconies, or working at height, all of which increase risk and duration.”

Crystal Wyllie, a doctor at ZAVA, said: “Obesity is an epidemic across the world, but within the UK, we can see a natural impact that bariatric care has not only on the NHS, but also on other public services such as fire and rescue services.

“First responders have to deal with a tremendous amount of stress on a day-to-day basis, but adding difficult callouts for bariatric patients risks their health and safety when manual handling pushes the physical limits of responders.

“So tackling obesity is key here to reduce strain on our public services.”

The analysis material also describes a London case study involving a ten-hour rescue with five fire engines and additional specialist units, plus police and multiple ambulances.