Teamwork helps save people trapped in burning building

ET Rapid Response control room operators were instrumental in guiding reaction officers to the rescue of two people trapped inside a burning building. Picture: ET Rapid Response

ET Rapid Response control room operators were instrumental in guiding reaction officers to the rescue of two people trapped inside a burning building. Picture: ET Rapid Response

Published May 23, 2024

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Durban — A quick response from control room operators and heroic action by ET Rapid Response officers led to two lives being saved.

ET Rapid Response managing director Tony Lokker explained that in the early hours of Wednesday morning, their 24-hour emergency control centre received multiple activations from a business premises in eManzimtoti and immediately dispatched multiple ET Rapid Response reaction officers to the premises.

“Upon the arrival of our reaction officers, they discovered that the building was on fire, and knowing that there were people staying on the premises, our reaction officers immediately requested that control room operators contact those people staying on site, and dispatch the fire department,” explained Lokker.

ET Rapid Response control room operators were instrumental in guiding reaction officers to the rescue of two people trapped inside a burning building. Picture: ET Rapid Response

Lokker said once their control room managed to get in contact with the people staying on site (who were unaware of the fire at the time), the people stated that they were trapped and could not find a way out.

“In a successful co-ordination between our control room operators and reaction officers on the ground, an extraction point was identified where the fire had not yet spread, whereby our control room operators managed to guide the people on the premises where to go,” Lokker said.

“Our reaction officers who entered the premises, giving guidance from the ground, managed to successfully rescue both people from the premises, who were thankfully not injured.”

Lokker said eThekwini Fire and Rescue responded within minutes and managed to extinguish the fire successfully.

“Awesome quick-thinking work done by our control room operators and reaction officers!” Lokker said.

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