The application of amphibious hovercraft in rescue roles falls into two categories: those that have been established for some time and those implemented more recently. Included in the former are the activities of HoverAid, who support and operate River Rovers for humanitarian purposes in Papua New Guinea and on the upper reaches of the Amazon. More recent involvement has been in Zambia and Madagascar, where they are used also to bring relief during the floods that regularly occur after the monsoon rains. Organisations including the Association of Search and Rescue Hovercraft and the RNLI recognised the benefits that small hovercraft could bring to search and rescue activities on mudflats. Prior to the floods in the UK in 2007, most fire and rescue services maintained that the occasional requirement for flood rescue did not warrant dedicated resources. This has changed, with both Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire purchasing hovercraft. More recently, Hovercraft Search and Rescue UK have two Eagle hovercraft based in Flint. However, the most recent development is the formation of the Inland Flood Rescue Association, which is able to provide a co-ordinated response to flooding in the UK and eventually overseas.
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