R911-million allocated for Tshwane emergency services

The Tshwane metro said it has allocated R911-million for the operations of its emergency service department which supports the work of over 1 000 personnel.

This was according to mayor Randall Williams who announced the department’s draft 2021/22 budget.

“The emergency service department is integral to keeping residents safe,” Williams said.

“The operating budget will be used for their daily running costs to render firefighting, rescue, emergency medical care, disaster management, as well as specialised operations and command services throughout the city.”

Williams said the funds would be used to purchase crucial firefighting material and emergency medical pre-hospital supplies.

It also included the payment of hygiene surveys as required by the occupational health and safety act, cleaning services at its facilities and medical consumables such as medical waste removal and medical oxygen.

“The funds are also used to ensure that personal protective equipment is sourced for the teams operating on the ground,” he said.

“The repairs to and maintenance of buildings, firefighting equipment, air-conditioning and security measures at all our stations are also crucial to ensure we create conducive working conditions in the city.”

Williams said there was also R13-million allocated for the emergency services department’s capital budget to employ members of the community as contractors and sub-contractors through its projects.

“The department will also use the EPWP to employ personnel on the capital projects within the metro. The department will also execute the following in the coming year and the new Mamelodi emergency services station will be operationalised,” he said.

“R5-million will be used for the construction of a new hangar in region 2. The hangar will accommodate the hazmat and command units at Wonderboom and the surrounding areas.”

Williams said R7-million will be used to purchase emergency services tools and equipment.

He said this would assist with enhancing productivity and keep up with technology while effective and efficient lifesaving emergency services are provided to residents.

“I want to encourage residents to participate and engage on the city’s budget,” Williams said.

“The metro’s draft budget will be placed on its website and the metro will use media platforms such as radio, social media and local newspapers to solicit inputs from the community.”

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram