The Duke of Cambridge Prince William is currently taking a year out from work as he prepares to take on more royal duties. However, he is putting his time to good use if reports are to be believed, as the second in line to the throne has been learning how to protect his family in case of emergency. It is believed that the Duke has made a secret visit to a police training centre to learn what to do if he and his family come under attack whilst carrying out royal duties. “My dad taught Prince William at his work,” says Victoria Hill, whose father is one of the police officers tasked with training the future king. She added as a comment on a social network: “My dad threw a petrol bomb at Prince William. What a claim to fame.”
Almost three years ago, William’s father Prince Charles was caught up in the riots that were spreading across London in a protest against the rise in tuition fees for students. The Rolls Royce that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were travelling in became separated from its police escort whilst on the way to a West End theatre. Demonstrators chanted ‘off with their heads’ and managed to vandalise the car with the occupants still inside.
Learning how to deal with emergencies should not just be the preserve of the rich and famous though. Fire marshal training is a good idea for anyone who may work in a large building and wants to know what to do in the event of a fire spreading throughout the building. Indeed, fire safety training was undoubtedly a part of Prince William’s training, as he learned how to deal with explosive missiles being thrown at the Police training centre.
It is believed that amongst the situations Prince William was trained for, armed police from the force’s CO19 unit recreated the last moments of a car chase in case the heir to the throne ever gets caught up in one. Fire extinguisher training is essential at any training facility. The multi million pound police training centre in Kent offers specialist tuition in firearms and public order, and features a mock-up of a small town, complete with roads, traffic lights, houses, shops, a pub and a nightclub. On the sprawling site close to the Thames, there is also a football stadium, a life-size section of a plane and train and underground stations with full-size carriages. There are also classrooms and lecture theatres, an abseil tower, stables for 10 police horses and accommodation for more than 300 people.
Prince William is one of the most protected people in the world, but he is just like everybody else in that you never know when a disaster may strike. It is important to be as prepared as possible so that you can protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of an emergency. Whilst we can’t all train with the police, there are plenty of other courses available.
About the Author – Sarah Makinson is a regular contributor to a range of business and training blogs, including the one for St John Ambulance.
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