Earlier today, a fire erupted at a tyre factory in Pretoria North, and while needing all the help they could get, the City of Tshwane showed private fire fighters the door and refused their assistance.
The City’s fire engines struggled to get access to water at hydrants while the private fire brigade had a fire engine with water ready to go.
Note to Editors: Please find English and Afrikaans soundbites here and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane has been calling on the City of Tshwane to regulate the use of private fire brigades instead-of abolishing these services.
The City of Tshwane would rather choose an environmental disaster affecting the health and safety of an entire community before they accept the assistance of private providers.
The DA believes that what happened today confirms our belief that the City of Tshwane’s fire brigade includes excellent, dedicated professionals – but they are being asked to do more with less, while the need for fast, effective emergency response grows.
What the City should be doing is working with Provincial and National Government to update the outdated regulatory framework, and create a clear, modern, licensing system that allows capable private services to operate legally, transparently and in support of – not in opposition to – municipal responders.