Boats and stations
Greg Spray
'Rips can occur at any time but the beaches were packed, so a lot of people were caught out.'
Area Lifeguard Manager
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Lifeboats
The RNLI has a range of different lifeboats, strategically placed around the UK and Republic of Ireland, to meet the needs of various locations and rescue types.
Lifeguard equipment
The RNLI employs around 300 seasonal lifeguards and also has some 50 volunteer lifeguards at units around the UK. The service operates a fleet of inshore rescue boats, rescue water craft and four-wheel-drive vehicles.
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Running costs
Our running costs average around £330,000 (€484,510) a day. For every £1 raised, 78p is spent on operations, 3p is spent on support and 19p is spent on fundraising.
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Boat design and build
RNLI designers and engineers are continually working on developing new classes of lifeboats, and making improvements to existing ones, to meet the ever-changing needs of the service.
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Stations
The building and upkeep of the RNLI's 232 lifeboat stations and facilities are mammoth tasks, with development and maintenance costing around £12M each year.