The men and women of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Fire and Emergency Services courageously put their lives in danger every single day to keep our city safe by responding to motor vehicle accidents, chemical fires, all types of rescues, hazardous material incidents and bush fires amongst others.
Due to Nelson Mandela Bay’s usual hot conditions from November until the end of April (dubbed bush fire season due to the obvious increase in bush fires), the workload of these fearless municipal employees almost increases twofold. In January the department responded to 904 incidents – these include callouts to emergencies other than bush fires – and for the first six days in February we already dealt with 133 incidents.
Safety and Security Portfolio Committee Chairperson Thembinkosi Mafana said he is happy with the professional and hardworking attitude of the employees in the department and he is confident that they are able to cope well with their current workload.
“However it is important that the community understand that we all have a role to play to ensure that bush fires are not started due to carelessness and that we immediately contact the Fire and Emergency Services when we see a bush fire or any other fire for that matter.
“People should never assume that someone else will contact the Fire and Emergency Services as it can adversely affect our response time,” Mafana said.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Fire and Emergency Services Director André de Ridder added the following tips:
- Do not dump freshly cut grass in heaps. The build-up of heat in the grass can cause spontaneous combustion which can lead to large fires, especially if the grass is dumped together with other vegetation.
- Report fires immediately. The municipality will not charge the caller for the callout. However the owner of the property will be held liable for the fee.
- Covering open fires with sand after a braai at public facilities is not good enough especially if it is windy. Water should also be used.
- Cigarette or cigar butts should not be thrown out of car windows.
- Controlled burning of shrubs or trees is illegal if a permit is not obtained from the Fire and Emergency Services. Guilty parties will be fined and liable for the callout fee.
- Keep matches or cigarette lighters away from small children.
In cases of fires and traffic emergencies, please call our 24-hour emergency line: 041 585 1555.
NMB Communications
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