Cambridgeshire firefighters see a rise in animal rescues and calls to objects that are stuck despite overall drop in incidents

Firefighters in Cambridgeshire were called to more incidents involving stuck objects and stranded animals last year, despite an overall fall in callouts amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: PA EMN-210309-135441001

Home Office data shows 196 such calls were made to the county’s Fire and Rescue Service in the year to March – 11 more than the year before.

They included 132 calls to help animals who found themselves in trouble and 64 callouts to remove objects from people!

Across England the number of times firefighters were drafted in to help animals increased from 4,724 to 5,159 over the year.

The most common reason was to help a trapped pet, which was quoted in a fifth of incidents attended nationally, closely followed by rescuing pets from a height.

Animal charity the RSPCA said its staff rescues tens of thousands of stuck or trapped animals every year. Its Peterborough and District branch is based in Whittlesey and has charity shops in Whittlesey, Market Deeping and Yaxley.

Steve Bennett, RSPCA deputy chief inspectorate officer, said: “While our staff are trained and equipped to help a lot of them out of trouble, there may be some situations where they need a helping hand to ensure both the rescuers and the animals remain safe.

“We can request the assistance of the fire and rescue service just like any member of the public can do, and we’re incredibly grateful to crews across England and Wales who are animal-lovers just like us and will always lend a hand to help an animal in need if they’re available.”

To report an animal in distress to the RSPCA call 0300 1234 999.

The number of people requiring help with stuck objects also increased nationally from 5,311 to 5,632.

Two-thirds of incidents saw someone needing help removing a ring, while trapped limbs accounted for 16 per cent of calls.

Overall, Cambridgeshire firefighters attended 6,507 incidents in 2020-21 – including 1,735 fires – down from 7,233 the year before.

They included 1,411 non-fire related incidents, which may be related to flooding, assisting people trapped in lifts and road traffic accidents.

The National Fire Chief’s Council said a drop in the number of incidents nationally, from 558,000 to 518,000, was to be seen in the context of the restrictions brought in during the pandemic.

Chairman Mark Hardingham said: “Despite the huge amount of positive and proactive work carried out nationally and locally, incidents, and sometimes very serious incidents, do still happen.

“It is of critical importance that we maintain a well-resourced fire and rescue service to respond professionally and safely to national and local emergencies.”