Johannes Lephoto from the Cradle of Humankind’s firefighter’s team will be taking part in training for the fire season.

The Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working on Fire (WoF) programme will conduct a yellow card training assessment to test the fitness of its firefighters in preparation for the upcoming winter fire season.

The camp will be held at Roodeplaat Nature Reserve, east of Pretoria, from 12–18 April.
Seventeen of Gauteng Province’s WoF teams will be assessed during the training camp. In the last fire season, 410 fires were recorded and an estimated 65 745 hectares burned.

There are 358 firefighters in the province to be assessed. Among the activities they will be required to perform are a 2,4km run, pull-ups, push-ups, and fire wall exercises.

Johannes said he is ready to participate in the annual assessment.
“Yellow card training assessment is done to certify firefighters to go to the fire line during the winter fire season. If you fails the assessment, you cannot attend fire calls during the fire season,” he said.

He said he has a passion for fighting veld and forest fires, because he is conserving and protecting the environment.
What interests Johannes most about the camp is that it is a test for the survival of the fittest.

“If you are not fit you cannot survive, because firefighters should not suffer fatigue in the fire line,” he said.
According to Johannes, the training will help prepare firefighters to work long hours and avoid suffering from heat stroke on the fire lines.

Stephen Boyes, General Manager in Gauteng said yellow card assessment training ensures the fitness and readiness of firefighters for the fire season.

“Assessing the firefighters is part of observing and implementing occupational health and safety rules. The safety of our firefighters is our number one concern,” he said.