Royal couple meet trainee firefighters in NI

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Mark SimpsonCommunities correspondent, BBC News NI

BBC A male firefighter with short ginger hair shakes hands with Catherine, Princess of Wales while a young female firefighter with dark hair stands beside them, smiling. Prince William is standing beside his wife, talking to the recruits. The firefighers are wearing beige safety suits and carrying bright yellow safety helmets. There is a red fire safety vehicle parked behind them. — The royal couple met recently qualified firefighters Piarais McCaffrey (right) and Caoimhe McNeice (centre)

The Prince and Princess of Wales have met recently-qualified firefighters during their first joint visit to Northern Ireland in three years.

Their trip began with a tour of the new Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning and Development College in County Tyrone.

The £50m state-of-the-art training site, at Desertcreat just outside Cookstown, opened to recruits in May.

NIFRS trainee Caoimhe McNeice, from Belfast, who spoke to the media on its first day of operations, was among those who greeted the royal couple on Tuesday.

The Prince and Princess of Wales met staff at a new training centre used by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service outside Cookstown

Prince William and his wife Catherine stand talking to two men outside a fire service training college building. William is wearing a brown blazer over a light shirt and dark tie. He is gesticulating with his hands as he talks. Catherine is wearing a long, dark olive green coat, buttoned up to the neck. A firefighter wearing a white uniform shirt and black tie is listening to the prince. Another grey-haired man in a navy suit has his back to the camera. — The Prince and Princess of Wales met staff at a new training centre used by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service outside Cookstown

The multi-million pound training centre represents the biggest capital investment in the fire service’s history.

It includes a tactical firefighting facility, a floodwater rescue facility, a replica village and a training warehouse.

The royal couple were given a tour of the 50-acre site and were taken to and from different areas in a fire appliance.

They were shown training exercises including flood-water and rope rescues and they both joined in for one of the rope-throwing exercises.

The visit coincides with fire safety week.

Chief fire officer Aidan Jennings described it as a “proud and unforgettable day for our service”.

Caoimhe McNeice and Piarais McCaffrey were among the first recruits to train at the state-of-the-art facility

Caoimhe McNeice and Piarais McCaffrey posing for a photo in front of the fire station training facility outside Cookstown. Caoimhe has dark hair tied back in a ponytail or bun and Piarais has short ginger hair. They are wearing beige protective suits with reflective stripes. There is a red and black fire station behind them and tall buildings to the left. — Caoimhe McNeice and Piarais McCaffrey were among the first recruits to train at the state-of-the-art facility

Stormont’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, whose department oversees the fire service, was also at the event.

When he was introduced to Prince William he said with a smile: “Welcome back to the mainland.”

Minister Nesbitt later decribed the visit as a “significant recognition of the courage and commitment of our firefighters and dedicated staff”.

Kensington Palace said the NIFRS site provides “opportunities for young people from across Northern Ireland to train to become the next generation of firefighters”.

The prince and princess have a number of other engagement’s scheduled on their one-day trip.

The palace said they would spend their time “visiting innovative organisations that showcase growth and investment in rural areas”.

Their itinerary also includes engagements at sites which “demonstrate entrepreneurial and creative opportunities for young people.”