Royals Prince William Marks His Return to Work by Honoring a Cause Close to His Heart The Duke of Cambridge, a former air ambulance pilot, marked Emergency Services Day with first responders and people who had been rescued by them By Simon Perry Published on September 9, 2021 10:44 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Alamy Stock Photo Prince William is back at work after a long summer break. On Thursday, the Duke of Cambridge marked Emergency Services Day in the U.K. by heading out to South London to see first responders, including firefighters and members of the public who have been helped by them. On his official Twitter account, William shared stories of some of the people he spoke with, including "5 year old Lila, who was successfully resuscitated by ambulance technician Charlotte Speers, along with fire-fighters Marc Rustage and James Knight, after she collapsed." William, 39, also led tributes to those working and volunteering in the emergency services and the health service. Alamy Stock Photo The welfare of emergency services crews is vitally important to the prince, a former air ambulance pilot. He and wife Kate Middleton have worked throughout the pandemic to support those who work in first responder teams and, while their Royal Foundation has set up Our Frontline and supported leading charities at the heart of mental health and frontline support as part of a bespoke COVID relief fund. How Prince William Helped Secure Safe Passage for Afghan Officer and Family Alamy Stock Photo It was during his time working with East Anglia Air Ambulance that William found himself face-to-face with another issue he was highlighting on Thursday: suicide. He "witnessed first-hand the challenges that emergency responders face on a daily basis during his roles as both an Air Ambulance and RAF Search and Rescue pilot," his office added in a release. So, following his journey across London, he hosted a meeting of emergency responders back at Kensington Palace to talk about suicide prevention within the emergency services community. That came ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday. Alamy Stock Photo Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Last September, the Duke and The Royal Foundation convened the Emergency Responder Senior Leaders Board. The first of its kind, the Board brings together leaders from across all of the U.K.'s emergency services to work collaboratively on the issue of mental health and ensure that all emergency responders receive the support they need.