In Northern Ireland, the Prince and Princess of Wales learn the innovative way firefighters are being trained

The Prince and Princess of Wales—or as they’re known in Northern Ireland, Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus—arrived in Northern Ireland for a royal away day.

Their day in Northern Ireland has been billed as a visit to “innovative organisations that showcase growth and investment in rural areas” and one that demonstrates “entrepreneurial and creative opportunities for young people” according to Kensington Palace.

William and Catherine first visited the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service’s new college in Cookstown, which is the largest of its kind and trains the next generation of firefighters through innovative training techniques, including one of only two flood water rescue simulators in the world in a fire training facility.

William and Catherine met with the Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, Aidan Jennings, to hear about the training techniques in use; and took part in two training exercises: a flood water rescue and a warehouse training simulation with several ongoing drills.

At one point, the royals were driven by fire truck to the water rescue area, and one of the recently-trained firefighters, Caoimhe McNeice, told reporters that Catherine had joked “I’d love to drive at the real speed and have the sirens on.”

At the water rescue drill, William and Catherine both took turns tossing rope to volunteers in the water, but missed. The instructor, Pete Sloane, told the Belfast Telegraph that “The water was moving at 24 knots, very fast, and they were both very close. It’s difficult to hit a moving target but another go and they would have had it.”

After their visit, Jennings said in a statement on the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service’s website that having William and Catherine visit the new facility had been a “proud and unforgettable day…and fitting that it occurred during Fire Safety Week.”

He continued: “It was a privilege to have our royal visitors meet many people across our Service and recognise their commitment, dedication and enthusiasm in doing so.”

Finally, he said: “I would like to sincerely thank the Prince and Princess for their visit, their kind words, support and recognition of the work of all our people in NIFRS dedicated to serving our community and keeping people safe.”

On their social media, William and Catherine shared some pictures and wrote: “A brilliant visit to the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service’s new Learning and Development College in Cookstown. A world-class facility helping to train the next generation of firefighters.”

This is Catherine’s first visit to Northern Ireland since 2022.