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As a champion of first responders, Prince William is stepping out to see some of London’s emergency teams before taking some family time.
The Prince of Wales, 43, visited the largest ambulance service in the U.K. on Friday, Oct. 17.
He headed to the headquarters of the London Ambulance Service in Waterloo, where he was taken to see staff who work in the well-being team, who both support people in the building and offer support and services to paramedics carrying out lifesaving work daily.
William also spoke with paramedics and other front-line workers about their experiences and the importance of providing mental health support to those working in emergency services.
Prince William, who was an air ambulance pilot, frequently highlights the strains and stresses of working on the frontline of emergency services — and the mental health support that those teams need.
Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
The patron of the London Air Ambulance was shown the Emergency Operations Control room where the team works around the clock managing the calls. He chatted with call handlers, ambulance dispatchers and members of the Clinical Hub team about their various roles in the service.
William, who served as an air ambulance pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017 and flew 999 missions, was then taken for a tour of the vehicles used by the service, including the world’s first, purpose-built all-electric ambulance and electric fast response cars. He was also introduced to specialist paramedics and took part in a training demonstration.
Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
It is the service’s 60th anniversary year.
Each year, the blue light service takes millions of emergency calls, providing in-person care and treating around 180,000 over the phone.
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Prince William’s royal outing came as his three children with Kate Middleton — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — prepare for a break from school as the fall half-term kicks off. The Prince and Princess of Wales typically try to keep work to a minimum when their kids are on break in order to spend time as a family.
The family is also expected to move into their new home in the coming weeks.
