Prince William Heartwarming Visiting to FDNY Firehouse to Wrap New York City Trip on 20/09/2023
Prince William is meeting some of New York’s bravest.
The Prince of Wales, 41, headed to an FDNY firehouse on Tuesday as part of his two-day trip to New York City. While most of his overseas tour surrounded his Earthshot Prize and other environmental issues as well as meetings at the United Nations, the firehouse visit surrounded another cause close to William’s heart: the mental well-being of first responders.
The Ten House Fire Station is located downtown near the World Trade Center, and six members of the firehouse were killed in the terrorist attacks in 2001. Despite suffering severe damage, Ten House served as a critical command center and recovery site in the days following 9/11, and it was two years before the firehouse was fully rebuilt. The west façade of the building features the FDNY Memorial Wall, which the Prince of Wales viewed upon arrival.
When Prince William and Kate Middleton visited New York City on a royal tour in 2014, they visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
Prince William met both recruits and long-serving firefighters to hear about their experiences working in the city and discuss the importance of prioritizing their mental health.
Hamza Ahmed, one of the firefighters who showed Prince William around during the visit, said the royal was “very interested.”
“He was very intrigued by everything. He had a lot of different questions. We discussed the helmets, where they come from, the embroidery with all the patches, he inquired about those as well,” he said.
Ahmed showed Prince William how they stage their gear so they’re ready to go as quickly as possible to an emergency.
“He discussed military stuff, first responder stuff,” the firefighter explained. “I always appreciate anybody interested in that because you do have to take an oath to put forth the service, and it takes a lot to go through that. It’s nice to see somebody who appreciates that.”
Lt. Drew Kane, who is also a licensed social worker, said he gave Prince William pamphlets on suicide awareness and PTS disorder.
“It was apparent that he understood the topic,” he said. “You could just tell in his presence that he knew what he was talking about with firsthand experience.”
“He seemed to be very, very impressed with where we were and where we are now,” he added.
The royal has dedicated much of his time to visiting with emergency workers, from first responders to care teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also has spoken about his own experiences working as an air ambulance helicopter pilot and an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.
“I took a lot home without realizing it,” he said in 2018. “You see [so] many sad things every day that you think life is like that.”
William added, “You’re always dealing with despair and sadness and injury. The attrition builds up and you never really have the opportunity to offload anything if you’re not careful.”
e royal was given a few gifts to bring home to his kids: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. They received small rubber fire trucks with the fire house’s logo, pens, notebooks, and T-shirts from their stair climb.
After leaving the fire station, Prince William walked across the street for an impromptu walkabout, shaking hands, chatting, and posing for photos with locals and tourists who had gathered outside hoping for a glimpse of the future king.
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