Boost for water safety as new rescue boats arrive at Norfolk fire service

Six new water rescue boats are being rolled out across Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, strengthening its response to incidents on the county’s extensive inland waterways and during major flooding events.

The fleet of Zodiac Milpro ERB400 emergency rescue boats is currently being fitted with additional equipment before becoming fully operational. Once in service, they will support rescues on inland waterways and the Broads, as well as form part of multi-agency responses to large-scale flooding.

The trailer-mounted boats will complement new Technical Rescue Units due to arrive later this year. They replace vessels at King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Dereham and Carrow fire stations, with an additional boat introduced at the service’s Training and Development Centre in Bowthorpe. The move is intended to strengthen in-house training capability and maintain operational standards.

Firefighters at stations receiving the boats will complete familiarisation training before the fleet enters service. The new vessels replace boats that are more than 18 years old and have reached the end of their operational life.

“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 that 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.”

Scott Norman, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.

While fire and rescue services in England do not have a specific statutory duty or dedicated funding to respond to flooding, unlike services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, they do have responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to prepare for emergencies. Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service said it will continue to respond to flooding incidents across the county.

The service is also part of Norfolk’s multi-agency Water Safety Forum, working to educate the public about the risks associated with water. Many people rescued from water did not intend to enter it. Partners urge members of the public not to enter the water to attempt a rescue themselves, as this can put additional lives at risk, and instead to call 999.

“The procurement of six new Milpro Zodiac boats will significantly strengthen the Service’s capability to respond to water related incidents across Norfolk’s inland waterways. The additional boats will increase organisational resilience and enable internal, instructor led boat training, ensuring crews maintain high levels of competence. Collectively, these improvements will enhance NFRS’s operational response to water rescue and flooding incidents.”

Paul Owen, Watch Manager, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service Rescue Training Lead.

The industry will once again be gathering at the NEC, Birmingham for The Emergency Services Show, co located with The Emergency Tech Show on 16-17 September, check out the full exhibitor list here. You can find Zodiac Milpro on Stand S74.

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