Working on Fire celebrates 15 years with a parade through Vryheid CBD
The parade begins at the Engen filling station where Church Street and East Street intersect at 10am.
Working on Fire will commemorate 15-years of service with a parade through the Vryheid CBD this morning.
The parade begins at the Engen filling station where Church Street and East Street intersect at 10am. 29 fire fighters will sing to boost morale as they jog along Church Street. Residents can also expect to see a Working on Fire fire truck and strike unit in the parade.
The fire fighters will slow down to a steady, silent march so as not to disturb the Vryheid’s Magistrates Court as they pass along Church Street and continue with song and good cheer, after they passed the court, to the municipal park on Mark Street, where they will enjoy a celebratory braai.
The Vryheid Herald chatted to senior crew leader, Sibonelo Mkhwanazi, assistant crew leader who has been part of the Working on Fire team since its inception, Gugu Mchunu, and fire fighter, Thulani Mkhonza, ahead of the event.
Thulani said that while residents easily recognised the bright yellow shirts and navy pants that identify Working on Fire crew members, many don’t really understand what the job entails.
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“Throughout the year, we run awareness campaigns at schools but it is impossible for us to reach everyone. This is our opportunity to engage with the community on issues of awareness as we turn our celebration into a public event,” he said.
Gugu said that the most important aspect of being a fire fighter to her is team work.
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Sibonelo feels that the most important rule of being a fire fighter is this, “Stay calm, think clearly and act decisively.” He believes that this mind-set has led the team to successfully handle the 26 fires they responded to in the past year, including 15, which the ground crew handled on its own, and 11 that required helicopter intervention.
Read more about Sibonelo, Gugu, Thulani and their experiences as fire fighters in next week’s print edition of the Vryheid Herald newspaper.
