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Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) has officially opened its new £50m Learning & Development (L&D) College, outside Cookstown in County Tyrone.
The opening of the Northern Ireland Executive Flagship Programme for Government Project was attended by First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.
Supported by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Department of Health, the facility which was completed at the end of 2024, offers immersive training environments and specialist simulation spaces that reflect real-life emergency scenarios. Phase 2 of the facility includes a flood water rescue facility, a training warehouse, a call out village, a barn and slurry pit, a motorway infrastructure and an academic building.
Phase 1 of the college was completed in 2019 and included a tactical firefighting facility and training support building.
The project experienced major delays and was initially intended to be a larger training college, serving both the police and prison services as well. However, the plans were later revised to create a dedicated facility specifically for the fire service.
“Today marks a historic milestone for our Service. The college is revolutionising how we train and develop our people to meet the evolving needs of a modern day Fire & Rescue Service and build on the collaborative working with other emergency responders and statutory agencies. This is key to successful emergency incident intervention and resolution. The college fosters a culture of lifelong learning and marks the beginning of a new journey that will shape how we prepare, develop and support our people and our community.
“On behalf of NIFRS I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Northern Ireland Executive, Department of Health, Department of Finance, our Board, and all those who provided financial and strategic support to bring this vision to life. I would like to express thanks to those involved in the project from its very inception, who have worked tirelessly to turn that vision into a reality. Thank you for your unwavering dedication, passion and commitment to helping make Northern Ireland a safer place.”
Aidan Jennings, NIFRS Chief Fire & Rescue Officer.
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