PRINCE William has praised the “truly remarkable” work done by the Fire and Rescue Service during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke of Cambridge, 37, penned a letter to the heroes keeping the country safe during the Covid-19 outbreak, saying they were carrying out their duties during these “extraordinarily difficult times”.
William said the work done by the fire and rescue services was a ‘source of pride for the country’
The chair of the National Fire Chiefs Roy Wilsher shared the letter on Twitter and wrote in his post: “Honoured to receive a letter from HRH The Duke of Cambridge praising the work of Fire and Rescue Services and importantly looking after the well-being of everyone who works for those services during the C-19 pandemic.”
In the letter, Prince William wrote: “The willingness of emergency service personnel to work tirelessly to protect the interests of others is a source of tremendous pride for this country.
“Having spent the last few weeks speaking with members of the emergency responder community, I have heard first-hand about the challenges they are facing at the moment, but I have also been struck by their remarkable commitment and ‘can do’ attitude at a time like this.”
Referencing his own time serving with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Duke said that even in normal times, emergency responders had to face distressing scenes frequently.
He said: “Each day, they put not only their physical health but also their mental health at risk to help others.
“So in this challenging and unsettling period, it seems more important than ever for those on the frontline to know where they can turn to for information and support.”
He also highlighted the work done by the support staff to help the frontline emergency responders.
William continued: “It brings together a package of support from leading mental health charities working in partnership with Police Care UK, the Ambulance Staff Charity and the Fire Fighters Charity, and offers confidential support tailored to a person’s needs and preferences.”
The duke added: “If there is anything else we can do to help at this time, please do not hesitate to let us know.
“In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and all your colleagues for your work, your determination and your country.
“The country owes you all an enormous debt of gratitude.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined a video call with volunteers from the mental health text service Shout on Friday.
The call marked Shout’s anniversary, as the UK’s first 24 hour crisis text help line, after being launched by Kate and William with the help of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined a video call on Friday with volunteers for the charity Shout
