Pretoria – A brand new, multimillion rand emergency station, complete with a fleet of 18 rapid intervention vehicles, 33 new ambulances and one Maxi- lance would boost the city’s ability to respond to emergency situations and disasters which often face city residents.
The multimillion rand facility – made up of an emergency medical service, disaster management service and a hazardous response unit – has the capability to battle high volumes of pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents, industrial fires, grass fires, bush, as well as rubbish fires. It would allow for fast and efficient assistance and care, city mayor Solly Msimang said on Thursday.
He was speaking when he officially launched the facility in Heuweloord, Centurion.
“When there is an emergency, be it medical or fire related, our people’s most basic concern is whether the help will show up in time to save their lives,” Msimanga said.
The facility and its equipment – built with a R37million budget – will have the capability to provide intervention during the high number of formal and informal residential fires in and around the capital.
“I am told that Heuweloord and surrounds identified major risks during assessments conducted prior to the erection of the station” Msimanga said.
Referring to the recent fires in Cape Town, which had killed 10 and left thousands homeless, Msimanga said: “All emergencies – fires, floods, car accidents and many more – cost lives, destroy properties, and drain public resources.”
Among the most vulnerable to fire hazards were children aged 1 to 4 years. They also constituted the second largest number of burn casualties.
“These vehicles have all the different capabilities needed for our safety and to save lives,” he added.
The Rapid Intervention Vehicles were smaller and would improve budgetary savings, carry 350 litres of water each and delivering the water from an ultra-high valve pressure.
Firefighters at the facility will embark on seasonal awareness campaigns on water safety, flooding, veld fires and special awareness programmes for schools and early childhood development centres.
The station will serve communities in Heuweloord, Olievenhoutbosch, Laezonia, Sunderlandridge, Mooiplaats, Laudium, Claudius, Erasmia and Wierdapark.
MMC for community safety, Derrick Kissundooth, said the areas served by the emergency station were developing very fast and required fire safety inspection and by-law enforcement.
“Disaster management is a cross-cutting function, determines disaster risks and assists with relief measures,” he said.
The station will also respond to motor vehicle accidents on the R55 and the N14 within the borders of the city. The station will cut down on the frequent delays experienced by residents when they needed emergency assistance.
Msimanga on Thursday said the new station was not the last in efforts to provide emergency assistance and care to city residents.
“We have identified several other areas where we need to construct modern world class emergency service facilities,” Msimanga said.
Plans were afoot to build a facility in Mamelodi as that township relied on Silverton, he said.
“The proximity of having a station in Mamelodi implies that communities will have the much-needed facilities at their doorstep.
"It would thus shorten the response times when the service in much needed.”
The city would also upgrade the Rosslyn Emergency Station to modern world class status in line with the long term vision of developing that industrial zone into a fully fledged town for the benefit of communities in the northern areas of the city.
Msimanga said that long term strategic bias would shorten the travel times from Soshanguve, Hammanskraal and Winterveldt to the CBD.
Rendering the services in Rosslyn would ensure that residents came to the Pretoria CBD as a choice and not a must.
Msimanga asked residents to assist in all emergency services efforts and report dangers and hazards.
“Alert us about those who generate prank calls, blow the whistle on those who abuse our scarce resources to the City of Tshwane Emergency Services,” he urged.
He called on residents to continue to partner in raising awareness campaigns to prevent disasters, and as the city administration they would secure facilities and use them only for the purpose of serving and protecting, he said.