The City of Johannesburg has issued a statement clarifying the concerns raised by residents with regard to the shortage of fire engines.
Mayor Herman Mashaba said he emphasises, from the outset, that the safety of the residents remains a primary concern for the multi-party government.
Also Read:
https://roodepoortrecord.co.za/2019/05/13/print-florida-fire-station-looks-forward-to-receiving-an-upgrade-web-r164m-to-upgrade-nine-of-the-citys-fire-stations/
“When we took office in 2016, I made it a top priority to ensure that our aged red fleet, including many broken-down fire engines, was repaired and returned to operations. This involved oversight visits by the MMC for Public Safety, councillor Michael Sun, to the workshop floor and pushing service providers to meet deadlines,” said Mashaba.
He stated that the City currently has 7 operational fire engines with 5 more expected back within the coming week following repairs.
“These are strategically deployed across the six districts in the City. In the event that any fire station does not have a fire engine available, for whatever reason, that fire station will be supported by the next available fire station and engine.
In his efforts to repair the old fleet, Mashaba said, “We were successful at the time and managed to put 29 fire engines back into service with the City’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) team. However, due to the age and condition of our inherited fire engine fleet, the vehicles remained prone to break-downs.”
The mayor has launched a full investigation into the state of disrepair in the fire engine fleet as well as suspected sabotage.
Mashaba said that the City was scheduled to receive 29 new fire engines when the multi-party government took office in 2016, inheriting a contract originally signed in 2015.
“Regrettably, it was subsequently discovered that the contractors’ appointment was tainted with allegations of fraud and corruption and that the tender was awarded on the basis of forged Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) documents. It is this very contract, entered into by the previous administration, which the President announced a Special Investigation Unit investigation into,” he said.
As a result of the supplier not being able to meet its contractual obligations, the City was left with no option but to cancel the R161 million contract for the provision of fire engines.
According to Mashaba, before the supply contract was formally terminated, they managed to salvage five new and two newly refurbished fire engines from the supplier by strictly adhering to supply chain regulations.
“The City took delivery of these last year. Following the termination of the previous contract, the City initiated a new procurement process, or Fire Engine Replacement Programme (FERP). The programme will allow the City to place an order for 92 additional EMS vehicles, including fire and rescue vehicles, delivery of which will commence in the coming weeks. This will be an unprecedented acquisition of fire engines for a municipality,” said Mashaba.
This will result in the 30 fire stations in the City each receiving a new fire engine. Until these new vehicles are delivered, Mashaba has vowed to continue ensuring that the ones in workshops are repaired and returned to operation.
The City also urged residents to call the correct number when reporting fires or other emergencies as it will help dispatch the correct resources as quickly as possible.
He also gave some important tips that will be useful to residents:
*DO NOT call the fire stations, but call the Call Centre on 011 375 5911 or 10177. The Call Centre will know which emergency vehicles are available and dispatch the relevant one.
*Posting an emergency on social media will not assist us to know or locate the emergencies. Please ensure that an actual call is made to the Call Centre and a reference number obtained.
*Remain calm and assist our firefighters with the location of the nearest fire hydrants.
*Ensure that our firefighters and emergency personnel have a safe and clear space in which to carry out their functions.
