Obesity putting a huge strain on North East fire services
Mar 13 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
SOME OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED BY FIRE BRIGADES INVOLVING OBESE PEOPLE
Staffordshire:
Large male stuck in the car not breathing.
Deceased female – approximately 30 stone – police and paramedics request assistance with removal of body.
Assistance with obese female on the floor – four ambulance personnel unable to life.
Male fallen with no legs – over 21 stone.
Lady been lying on floor all day, approx 30 stone.
Lincolnshire
Assisted ambulance staff to lift female from upstairs into awaiting ambulance - 18 stone lady - lift broken.
Set up rope system from first to ground floor, placed lady into stretcher in conjunction with ambulance service and inter-agency with health service.
Assisted police and funeral directors to remove deceased from ground floor of house using manpower and salvage sheet
Humberside
Fire crews assisted ambulance staff to move 35 stone male from the floor back into a sitting position.
Assist ambulance personnel with bariatric patient into ambulance.
Tyne & Wear
Obese person stuck in bath.
Obese person collapsed and trapped between furniture.
Obese female fell from wheelchair.
Obese woman caused bed to collapse.
Obese lady trapped in stair lift chair at head of staircase on first floor.
Cornwall
Assistance given to Ambulance Service to lift a 21 stone female who had fallen.
Assistance given to Ambulance Service with 29 stone casualty to lift them through a caravan window.
Bedfordshire
Bariatric patient released from bath by fire crew. Crew accompanied ambulance to hospital to assist with casualty conveyance.
Fire crews assisted ambulance crew to remove large male casualty from toilet.
Two fire appliances and one specialist rescue unit with crews provided by Fire Service to assist ambulance crew to move bariatric patient with heart and breathing problems into ambulance. Fire Service casualty carrier with skid fitted on bottom used. Fire Service followed ambulance crew to hospital to assist with patient transfer from A&E to bariatric bed following medical assessment.
Cheshire
A call was received from the Ambulance Service to request assistance in lifting an obese patient who had become unconscious in the Crewe area of Cheshire.
A call was received from the Ambulance Service at 09:51 to request assistance in lifting an obese patient in a first floor bedroom in the Nantwich area of Cheshire.
Durham and Darlington
Nursing/Care Homes requested assistance in lifting heavy patients.
Private residence requested assistance in lifting heavy patients.
Assisted Police to lift heavy deceased bodies.
North Yorkshire
Large lady fallen, trapped down side of bed.
Assist large patient into dental chair.
Male stuck in bath.
Northumberland
Requested to assist two ambulance crews to return a 30+ stone individual to their bed. No hoist user on duty on either of the ambulance crews.
Assisting NHS to move a bariatric person until arrival of NHS Heavy Lift Ambulance.
