Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has spent just over £50,000 on the new Zodiac Milpro ERB400 boats.

The craft are having extra kit and equipment fitted so they can respond to water-based emergencies around the county.

As well as being used for inland and Broads rescues, the trailer-mounted emergency rescue boats could also be deployed during larger-scale flooding - which has hit parts of Norfolk such as Attleborough and Long Stratton in recent years.

The new craft will replace the current rescue boats at King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Dereham and Carrow fire stations.

Additional investment has also been made to introduce a rescue boat into the service’s Training and Development Centre in Bowthorpe.

Crews on fire stations hosting the new boats will get extra training before the new fleet of surface rescue boats - which are expected to last for 15 years - are put into operation.

Scott Norman (Image: Newsquest)

Norfolk Fire and Rescue's deputy chief fire officer Scott Norman said: “With more than 200 miles of inland waterways in our county, our firefighters are regularly called out to emergencies in the water and are also required to respond to large-scale flooding incidents.

"This investment ensures we are not only current and ready to respond to incidents across the county but will also ensure our firefighters are fit for the future to carry their lifesaving work."

Fire and rescue services in England do not have a specific statutory duty or funding to respond to flooding incidents, but do have general duties to prepare for emergencies.

The fire service does not deal with rescues from sea, where the coastguard is responsible for search and rescue operations.

The coastguard works closely with the RNLI, which crews the lifeboats which make rescues from the sea.

© Norwich Evening News