Prince William visited Dockhead fire station in Bermondsey last week to show gratitude to emergency services workers.
He made the visit to the fire station as part of emergency services day on Thursday (September 9), also known as 999 Day. The prince was seen chatting with firefighters at the station as well as Lila, a little girl who collapsed in March 2020 but was successfully resuscitated by an ambulance worker and a couple of off-duty firefighters.
Emergency services day is an annual occasion to thank the two million staff at blue-light services in the UK, who work so hard to keep the public safe.
Tom Scholes-Fogg, who founded the day in 2016, said this year: “We all take the NHS and emergency services for granted. We know that when we really need help, it is there. Emergency Services Day is an opportunity for the country to say a huge heartfelt thank you to the two million people who put others before themselves. I encourage everybody to support our emergency services personnel all year round, not just on 999 Day.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: ““It takes a very special kind of person to put your life on the line for a complete stranger. Yet that is what we see day in, day out from the remarkable men and women of our emergency services.
“All of us in this country owe each of you a debt of gratitude. So, it is only right that, on Emergency Services Day, we celebrate your work and, as a nation, say a huge “thank you” for doing so much for so many.”