A new specialist rescue boat which will be used by firefighters to save people during floods and other inland emergencies has entered service in Kendal.

The £5,000 rescue boat will help the county's Fire and Rescue Service to perform urban flood rescues.

During the 2005 floods, Cumbrian firefighters in Carlisle improvised equipment and procedures in order to rescue people trapped by the rising water. The lessons learned from the floods have led to a major investment in new equipment and training for personnel.

Another rescue boat has also entered service at Workington fire station, bringing the number in the county to four, with boats in Carlisle and Barrow already operational.

Each boat is powered by a 20hp Honda outboard engine and to crew them safely 90 firefighters have been trained to Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Level 2 in powerboat handling.

The boats, which can carry a crew of four firefighters, are produced by Avon who also supplies the military and other fire and rescue services.

Cumbria county councillor Elizabeth Barraclough, cabinet member responsible for the county's Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Cumbria's floods have been described as a one-in-250 year event, and everyone hopes that the devastation we saw in 2005 will never be revisited upon the county again.

"But the addition of these specialist rescue boats to Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service's arsenal means we'll be better prepared if it does."

Cumbria Fire and Rescue's assistant chief officer for operations Dave Keevil said: "I'm delighted at the way our firefighters have responded to acquiring new skills and to Cumbria County Council for the investment they have made in these new rescue boats."