Tshwane emergency service unveil new fleet. Photo: Reitumetse Mahope.
The City of Tshwane will be getting bulletproof armoured emergency service vehicles – a first of its kind for the area or even South Africa.
“These vehicles will not be found in any municipality in South Africa,” said Tshwane’s acting chief of emergencies, Tanja Terblanche.
The unveiling of the vehicles took place at the emergency services headquarters on the corner of Government Avenue and Beckett Street in Pretoria on Thursday, 13 August.
Terblanche said “we need to protect our employees and provide them with bullet-proof vehicles”.
“We [need to] recognise our officials, who are doing the work for emergency services; none of us [senior management] will drive these vehicles, and none of us face situation where we need these armoured vehicles.”
She said emergency services employees often found themselves in dangerous situations in aims of protests and difficult terrain when attending to emergencies.
“They put their lives at risk and their work has not stopped during Covid-19 as they still respond as frontliners for the Tshwane metro.”
She said the aim of the new fleet was to save both lives and property.
“The vehicles launched are one of a kind and a great investment for the Tshwane metro,” she said.
The new specialised vehicles include an aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) tender; a special infectious unit (SIU) ambulance; an intensive care unit (ICU) ambulance; an armoured ambulance and an armoured fire truck.
Tshwane administrator Mpho Nawa said it was a privilege for the metro to have such vehicles.
Nawa said these fleet of vehicles were, however, not meant for just urban areas in Tshwane, but also for townships and national government.
“These emergency vehicles are not necessarily for airports, but for any problems the metro has. They will service the military as we are a home for military and they will be used to align government.”
Nawa said the fleet of vehicles would enhance the capacity of Wonderboom national airport in responding to firefighting emergencies.
The vehicles will evacuate and rescue passengers and crew of aircraft involved in aviation accidents and incidents.
He said the SIU ambulance would aid the care and transportation of suspected or known patients with infectious diseases or contamination from incidents or interfacility transfers.
The ICU ambulance would aid the transportation of patients requiring intensive care during transportation from incidents or interfacility transfers.
“The armoured ambulance would enable rapid access and retrieval of injured during life-threatening incidents. The armoured fire truck would enable emergency services to effect firefighting and other rescue operations.
“These emergency vehicles have state-of-the-art equipment.”
Acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng said the fleet would help in upgrading the Wonderboom airport.
“It will not be an easy task to achieve the upgrade; however, these vehicles should assist us in reaching our goal.
“Tshwane could have an airport such as OR Tambo and Lanseria.”
This article first appeared on Rekord and was republished with permission.
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