WATCH: Ekurhuleni fire department enhances water rescue skills
The City of Ekurhuleni’s Fire Department Technical Rescue Teams (TRT) recently conducted intensive water rescue exercises at Homestead and Germiston Lakes, testing high-capacity systems to strengthen response to large-scale emergencies.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s Fire Department – Technical Rescue Teams (TRT) recently intensified their training efforts with advanced water rescue exercises.
These critical drills are designed to enhance operational readiness for large-scale emergency scenarios.
On September 26, the TRT conducted exercises at Homestead Lake in Benoni, focusing on refining their water rescue and equipment-handling skills.
The next phase of the training took place on September 30 at Germiston Lake, where high-capacity water pumping systems were tested.
@bedfordview.edenv The City of Ekurhuleni’s Fire Department Technical Rescue Teams (TRT) recently conducted intensive water rescue exercises at Homestead and Germiston Lakes, testing high-capacity systems to strengthen response to large-scale emergencies. #EkurhuleniFire #WaterRescue #TRTTraining #FireSafety #EmergencyResponse
Speaking on behalf of the department, DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi highlighted the uniqueness of the training equipment, describing it as “one of its kind in the country.”
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Central to the demonstration was the hytrans fire system, a high-volume mobile water supply system that can support extensive firefighting operations.
Two powerful pumps were submerged in Germiston Lake, drawing water through 400mm diameter hoses to supply the marine pump. From there, water was distributed through the Menefee System, which can connect up to eight 100mm diameter hoses, before being pumped back into the lake via the Ambassador unit.
“This system requires a copious amount of water to operate effectively,” said Ntladi. “It’s specifically designed for large-scale incidents – fires that can take days to extinguish.”
During the exercise, the system achieved a pressure of nine bars (900 kilopascals), delivering an impressive 15 000 litres of water per minute, with six hoses connected to the Menefee System on the day.
“Fortunately, we have multiple water sources across the city,” Ntladi explained. “Instead of relying on shuttling water through fire engines, we deploy this system to attack the fire with force.”
Personnel also underwent comprehensive training to operate the system, including specialised driving and crane-truck operation.
This is crucial, as the equipment is mounted on heavy-duty crane trucks requiring both technical and mechanical skill to manage safely.
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Ntladi noted the system’s effectiveness in various challenging scenarios – veld fires, high-rise building fires, dumping site fires and paper factory fires.
“In Brakpan, for example, we use the system efficiently due to the proximity of a lake when combating landfill fires,” he said.
“These exercises mark a significant step in the department’s preparedness for high-risk rescue and firefighting operations, ensuring that when disaster strikes, the TRT is ready to respond with speed, skill, and strength,” said Ntladi.
