The new Learning and Development College for the NI Fire and Rescue Service, which opened in Cookstown last year PICTURE: NIALL CARSON/PAThe Co Tyrone location of the new £50m firefighter training college is proving a turn-off for potential training staff at a time when the fire service needs a “significant increase” in instructors. The service opened its £50m Learning & Development College in Cookstown last year, and the new report has warned its distance from Belfast “is seen as a negative and discouraging to potential (training role) applicants and this is an obstacle that the Service will need to work hard to overcome”. Staff were concerned over the “inconsistent” delivery of learning information and the “quality and credibility of the training instructors”. The 2023 report made a series of recommendations, including improvements to training systems and a review of training structures. “However, the implications of not providing necessary training and development opportunities are considerably more worrying,” it states.