County Down Wholetime Firefighters Graduate from NIFRS
Eighteen new Wholetime (full-time) Firefighters have officially graduated from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning & Development College (LDC) today, marking the successful completion of an intensive 18-week training course and the beginning of their operational careers serving the community across Northern Ireland.
Wholetime Firefighters Neil Carleton from Ballynahinch and Taylor Kirk from Bangor were among the cohort who proudly graduated from NIFRS today.
This is the second cohort of Wholetime Firefighters to graduate from the state-of-the-art LDC, which opened in May 2025, and represents an investment of £50m in the future of NIFRS learning and development.
During their training, Firefighters developed specialist knowledge and skills to prepare them for the types of incidents they will respond to, including fires, road traffic collisions, water rescues and hazardous material incidents.
The 18 new Firefighters will now begin their careers on Stations across Northern Ireland, where they will continue to develop their skills and play a vital role in keeping people safe.
NIFRS Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, Aidan Jennings said: “I am incredibly proud to welcome this latest cohort of Wholetime Firefighters to NIFRS.
“Their graduation today marks the culmination of months of dedication, teamwork and determination. They have shown outstanding commitment to developing the skills and values required to serve our community safely and effectively.
“The success of our 18 new Firefighters would not have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of the dedicated training team at our college.
“Their experience and enthusiasm for developing others has been crucial in ensuring that this cohort of new Firefighters is fully prepared for the operational incidents they will face when they join us on Fire Stations across Northern Ireland in the next few weeks.
“Our new college offers world-class facilities that ensure our Firefighters are trained to the highest standards. The graduates now join a proud organisation with a long tradition of service and excellence. They represent the future of NIFRS, and I have every confidence that they will uphold our commitment to keeping the people of Northern Ireland safe and making a difference in the community we serve.”
Jay Colville, Chairperson of NIFRS Board, added: “On behalf of NIFRS Board, I would like to congratulate each of our new Wholetime Firefighters graduating today.
“Their commitment to public service and willingness to put others before themselves embodies the very best of what NIFRS stands for.
“Today’s graduation is a significant milestone, but it is not the end of their journey. As a Service, we remain deeply committed to investing in our people.
“Our graduates will continue their development, both on Station and through ongoing training at our college.
“Today is a day of great pride for our graduating Firefighters, their families, and for NIFRS as a whole, and I wish them every success in their future careers.”
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