Gauteng police train ahead of the festive season

Gauteng police and emergency services held a training showcase to strengthen the services’ readiness to save lives and provide community safety ahead of the festive season. The training showcase took place on Tuesday, involving the SAPS regional K9-unit and emergency services in the east of Pretoria at the Waterkloof Marina retirement estate.

“The simulation aimed to test a variety of skills needed during a search and rescue operation.

“Scenarios were set up to practise water and high angle rescues. Each emergency service utilised their expertise and skills to the fullest during the simulation,” said police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach.

The regional K9-unit which is used to search for drugs, dangerous explosives, missing people and crime scene evidence, headed the training alongside with police water wing, off-road rescue unit, mountain search and rescue, Netcare and Gauteng emergency medical services.

Weilbach believed Tuesday’s rainy conditions assisted in making the simulation more realistic as the weather conditions deteriorated during rescue operations. “The training improves working relationships and communication between all the different emergency services.

“It is an opportunity to practice together, especially with the festive season upon us when there tends to be more drownings, accidents on water and other disasters,” she said. During the months of August and September there was a surge in reported children drowning or having near-drowning experiences.

Drowning was one of the most common causes of unnatural deaths in the world and children remain the highest at risk, according to the World Health Organisation.

Gauteng police emergency services commander Brigadier Samuel Kilian was confident over the readiness of the services to save lives following the training. He said he was proud of the way his members operated and showcased their readiness and intensive training attained.

“Today, was only a simulation but normally the SAPS and these role-players are exposed to high risk situations daily, where they perform their duties and put other people’s lives first.” Communities are urged to play their role by reporting any suspicious persons, vehicles or circumstances to the police immediately, by phoning the 10111 emergency number. Information with regards to crime can be given to the police anonymously by phoning 08600-10111 or by using the MySAPS app.