The communities of Olifantsfontein, Clayville and Winnie Mandela will soon have a bigger and more resourced fire station when a new fire station in Olifantsfontein is complete.
The new Olifantsfontein Fire Station is situated on 12 Axle Road and will relief the old fire station that was built in the mid 1940s in the same area, said Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the metro.
The areas that are served by the old fire station have grown substantially over the years. New developments include areas such as Winnie Mandela, Tswelopele and Clayville.
“This has affected the response time. The new fire station will reduce the response time to be in line with the international benchmark,” said Gadebe.
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Olifantsfontein Fire Station, which is over halfway finished, will have five bays to house five fire trucks, three ambulances and a shift comprising 11 officials. The old fire station had bays for only two fire trucks and three ambulances.
A helipad will also be constructed for emergency incidents that may need the service of a helicopter.
Thirty-six local labourers are employed, as well as 12 sub-contractors with their own labour.
Gadebe said the City of Ekurhuleni committed to build two fire stations every three years to reduce the response time to emergency situations.
A sod-turning ceremony was held on April 5 for the new Klopper Park Fire Station, which will serve Elandsfontein, Isando and Jet Park, among other areas. Germiston Fire Station was opened on October 4.
Construction work at the Albertina Sisulu Corridor Fire Station on Highveld Road in Kempton Park had been at a standfill for over a year now as the City failed to appoint a new contractor. A new contractor is anticipated to be appointed in September to finish the station, which was supposed to have been completed in June 2018.
Executive mayor Mzwandile Masina launched a new fleet of firefighting vehicles in October 2018, comprising ambulances, water pumpers, water tankers, a rescue pumper and hydraulic platform which reaches a height of 37 metres.
The City recently added to these equipment two other highly advanced tankers, one capable of carrying fire extinguishing foam for fires caused by flammable liquids.
“We are ramping up our emergency services capacity to live up to our vision of being a developmental city that provides people-centred services, and creates a safer environment for our residents,” MMC for community safety Clr Frans Mmoko said.
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