Fire stations and lack of fire engines have been highlighted as a concern for Modderfontein residents.
City of Johannesburg (CoJ) mayor Herman Mashaba released a statement recently which detailed plans to improve this Emergency Management Services (EMS) arm.
Robert Mulaudzi, spokesperson of CoJ’s EMS, shared more on how this affects the Modderfontein Fire Station and how residents can address fire hazards.
On July 31, Mulaudzi said the fire engine at Modderfontein is being repaired at the workshop.
“However, if there is a fire incident, a fire engine from a nearby fire station will be dispatched.”
The turnaround time for the fixing of fire trucks is affected by the import of parts.
“Almost on a weekly basis we have fire engines that are being released from the workshops depending on the repairs.
“It might take weeks or months because most of the vehicles’ parts are imported. They still have to be ordered and it takes a couple of days for them to be delivered,” said Mulaudzi.
According to the spokesperson, the shortage of fire engines affects response times to incidents.
“For effective response to emergencies we have strategically placed vehicles in high risk areas to respond to emergencies while we wait for additional vehicles being repaired at workshops.”
Residents are urged to work with EMS by making sure they don’t leave any heating devices which might cause fires at home unattended.
“Make sure children are always supervised while heating devices are in use,” said Mulaudzi.
The matter is being addressed at the highest level within the City of Joburg.
“We hope that soon we will be taking delivery of new vehicles, which will improve service delivery to our residents,” said Mulaudzi.
For fire or any life-threatening emergencies call 011 375 5911.
Modderfontein Fire Station can be contacted on 011 608 2038.
