Britain’s firefighters have rescued more than 38,000 people in the last year, new figures reveal.
They show that 105 people are rescued by fire crews every day of the year.
And for every victim killed in a blaze, firefighters save the lives of ten others.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said yesterday: “These figures on rescues are a fantastic testament to the everyday work of our firefighters across the UK.
“These rescues mean people are alive, or uninjured who otherwise might not have been.
“The risks faced by our communities mean that we need firefighters more than ever.
“They train and prepare every day for the whole range of incidents they may have to face and they do not simply wait for emergencies - they work systematically to stop fires and other emergencies from happening.
“They really are lifesavers who make us all safer.”
Fire crews rescued 38,144 people between April last year and March this year, according to research by the FBU.
The number of people rescued from fires was 3,720 - a 17 per cent drop on four years ago.
But fire crews saved another 34,424 people during non-fire rescues which included road accidents, floods, explosions and building collapses. These incidents have increased by five per cent since 2010.
FBU head of research Dr Paul Hampton said: “As these new figures show, firefighters are involved in tens of thousands of rescues every year, from fires to floods to incidents involving hazardous chemicals to lift releases to road traffic incidents.
“Firefighters always step in and help at incidents, no matter what has happened and despite considerable risks to themselves - that is what firefighters do.
“They help people who put themselves in dangerous situations - they aren’t there to judge.
“Firefighters are there to save lives and protect people, and the new research bears this out.”
Figures covering the last year show that fire crews rescued 32,002 people in England, 2,955 in Scotland, 1,668 in Wales and 1,519 in Northern Ireland.
Fire crews in the East of England region carried out the most rescues followed by London and the South East and then Scotland.
But the number of firefighters killed on duty has shown a dramatic rise.
Latest figures show that 14 firefighters died during the ten years to 2013 - compared to six fatalities in the previous decade.
Another 3,146 firefighters were injured on operations, training and routine activities in England during 2013-2014.