A new £50 million training centre for firefighters has been opened in Northern Ireland.
The state-of-the-art facility in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, provides opportunities for scenario-based training in things like water rescue and collapsed buildings.
There is also a farm building and slurry tank to replicate the danger of slurry gases and provide an opportunity to train in large animal rescue.
One of the buildings also doubles as the deck of a ship with a bridge which can be set on fire.
Training is already being provided to firefighters from the Republic of Ireland at the site.
Officers were also given collapsed building training in the wake of the Creeslough tragedy in 2022 in which ten people died.
Dublin, Galway, Laois and Cork have all sent teams for Urban Search and Rescue training.
Northern Ireland's Chief Fire Officer Aidan Jennings described the opening of the new centre as a "milestone day" for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
"The college is revolutionising how we train and develop our people to meet the evolving needs of a modern-day Fire and Rescue Service and build on the collaborative working with other emergency responders and statutory agencies," Mr Jennings said.
"This is key to successful emergency incident intervention and resolution," he added.
The £50m centre is a scaled back project from what had originally been envisaged on the site almost 20 years ago.
It was originally intended to be a joint training facility for all the emergency services including the police and ambulance service.
However, it was dogged by delay and questions over funding.
It was scaled back in recent years to be a fire service only facility.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly attended today’s opening along with several other executive ministers.
Ms O'Neill said the training centre would serve people for generations.
"And it is no less than our brave firefighters deserve; the people who...daily, selflessly confront dangerous situations to keep people safe and save lives," she said.
"As well as being a real asset to the Mid Ulster area, it will stand as a centre of excellence that supports the safety of our whole community for many years to come," she added.
Ms Little-Pengelly said it would allow trainees to develop the skills to deal with an increasingly complex set of emergencies.
"It will ensure the brave men and women who pass through the doors are well equipped to save lives and protect property and the environment in the best and safest way possible," she said.
At present 42 firefighters are completing their training at the centre, the first recruits to pass through it.
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