MORE than 2,000 people in West Sussex were plucked from fires and crashes by firefighters in nine years, latest figures show.
A total of 1,494 people were rescued from collisions on the county's roads and 549 from blazes between 1997 and 2006.
In the same period fire crews in Hampshire helped 1,140 from fires and 2,892 from car accidents.
The total number of people re
scued by the fire service will be much larger, because some figures such as those rescued from flooding and water are excluded from the figures obtained by the Fire Brigades Union.
Ricky Matthews of the southern region of the Fire Brigades Union said: "Everyone in the fire service knows there is terrible human tragedy behind all these incidents. Lives are lost as well as saved and families, friends and communities are left devastated.
"These figures are not a celebration of the work of the fire service. But they do underline there is hope, help, rescue and survival as well as tragedy and loss."
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The full article contains 246 words and appears in OS-Chichester Observer newspaper.
