Residents near the Lonehill Fire Station are once again hearing a familiar sound in the mornings and evenings: The rumble of a fire engine being tested.

For many, it is a sound they last heard about a decade ago, when the station last had its own fire engine. Since then, emergencies in the Lonehill area have had to be attended by fire engines from neighbouring stations, making responses slower and placing extra pressure on the firefighters at Lonehill.

Read more: Lonehill Fire Station gets new fire engine after 10 years

Station commander Rudy Nell said operating without a dedicated fire engine has been extremely challenging, but the team has done their best to manage. “It’s been very hard. It’s been challenging, but I’m fortunate to have a very good station and very good people.”

In the absence of a proper fire engine, firefighters relied on alternative vehicles and equipment to respond to emergencies.

A rescue intervention vehicle, normally intended only for rescue operations, had been used as the first response vehicle for fires. “We’ve had a rescue intervention vehicle, which is actually only supposed to be for rescue, but we’ve been using it as a first turnout vehicle, and trying to do what we can.”

Skid units, smaller firefighting systems mounted on vehicles, were also relied upon to manage incidents when necessary.

Despite these limitations, the dedication of the Lonehill team allowed them to continue serving the community.

Also read: Councillor says R72 million cut leaves Johannesburg fire stations understaffed and underequipped

Things have now begun to improve. The station received a new fire engine earlier this year, which has been operational since January.

The engine now works alongside the rescue intervention vehicle, significantly improving the station’s ability to respond to emergencies in the area. “We’ve just got our new fire engine, which has been here since January. So, we’ve been running the fire engine and the rescue unit together.”

The improvements extend beyond Lonehill. According to Nell, the region now has three fire engines, a water tanker, three skid units, and the rescue intervention vehicle. Every station in the area is equipped with at least two vehicles for emergencies.

Ward 94 councillor David Foley couldn’t help but beam with pride. “Our residents are extremely excited. I am also happy because this is something I have been advocating for a long time. The team is happy and motivated, and that is what we need.”

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