The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has revealed some of the strangest 999 calls which it crews have had to deal with recently.
Amongst the call outs, fire crews have had to rescue a child who was stuck in a bin. Crews have also been called upon to free children from toilet seats and ticket machines.
The list of bizarre calls cover three years and highlights some of the more unusual scenarios which firefighters have to deal with.
The LFB has said that attends around 200 incidents each year which result in fire crews having to rescue minors after their curiosity has landed them in ‘sticky situations’.
But it also noted that there had been a 20% reduction in these types of calls when compared to 2019.
A spokesperson for the LFB said:
“As children begin to spend more time independently of their parents as schools and offices begin to reopen, the Brigade is warning to keep a close eye on little ones to avoid accidents.
“Around 30 per cent of incidents attended this year where a child was stuck involved fingers and hands getting trapped in small spaces, including toys, bottles, drains and even a sewing machine.
“Whilst over 75 incidents in the last five years involved children with their heads stuck inside objects, like potties, toilet seats and in between railings”.
Whilst children becoming stuck up trees and in swings are among some of the most common types of calls firefighters have had to deal with, some of the strangest calls in the last three years involving children getting stuck include:
- A child with head stuck in potty
- Child stuck in a bin
- A child with a finger stuck in cymbal
- A child with a toilet seat stuck around the head
- A child with fidget spinner stuck on finger
- A child with arm caught in a cinema cup holder
- A child with hand stuck in a football table
- A child with hand stuck in a ticket machine
Deputy Commissioner, Richard Mills, said:
“Children are constantly on the move, and it would be impossible to watch every move that they make, which means that sometimes, accidents are just a part of growing up.
“With families spending much more time together at home in recent months, it’s been tougher for children to get up to mischief under the supervision of eagle-eyed parents.
“As schools go back, play dates pick back up and parents return to work, we want to make sure that children stay safe and avoid preventable accidents, like getting heads stuck in potties.
“We will always attend genuine emergencies, but it’s important to play your part to help us use resources wisely.
“A watchful eye and a chat with your children about the risks of exploring hard to reach places can prevent accidents. Only call 999 if there is a genuine emergency.”
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