Every firefighter in Oxfordshire will be trained to save the lives of people trapped in floodwater.

Chief firefighter John Parry, the highest ranking officer in the county, has ordered all 550 crew members to take the training because Oxfordshire has been hit by floods three times in the past year.

Today the Chief Fire Officers' Association warned of a national shortage of trained flood rescue crews and urged the Government to step in and create a national standard.

Mr Parry said Oxfordshire's firefighters would be trained in water rescue - despite the Government not handing fire crews the legal obligation to carry out life-saving operations in flooding.

But he feared some fire services did not have the necessary equipment, and could become reliant on other counties in times of flooding - further stretching resources.

Oxfordshire County Council has made £200,000 available to train all its firefighters - including new recruits - in specialist water rescue.

The money would also provide flood crisis kit for every fire crew - including new dry suits, inner suits, helmets, hose inflation kits, wading poles, megaphones and life jackets.

The fire and rescue service already has three inflatable rescue dinghies.

Last week, Max Sullivan-Webb, 17, died in raging flood water in Witney, despite the efforts of firefighters and paramedics. Max's 16-year-old friend Daniel Martin was rescued.

Emergency services were praised for their work.

The training plans were proposed before the tragedy.

Mr Parry said: "There should be an emergency service with statutory responsibility. It makes sense for it to be the fire service.

"We will continue to improve our equipment and training in Oxfordshire to our own standard. But if we have a common expectation from the Government, and statutory responsibility to fulfil it, the whole operation will come together far easier."

Water rescue training for all county firefighters will be completed by March.

Witney MP David Cameron said: "Firefighters are doing a fantastic job in often very tough circumstances.

"If they need more help with this kind of training, then it should be made a priority."