The Govan Mbeki Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) team hosted a community safety day and international firefighters’ awareness event at Secunda Mall on May 9.

The aim of the event was to promote safety awareness, strengthen community partnerships, and provide the community, especially children, with the opportunity to experience the physical and mental demands of firefighting in a safe, interactive, and family-friendly environment.

One of the highlights of the day was the mini firefighter challenge, where children participated in practical activities simulating real firefighting tasks.

These challenges allowed participants to better understand the coordination, strength, and teamwork required during emergency response, while building respect for the firefighting profession.

All children who completed the challenge received a mini firefighter helmet. A dedicated community fire safety education stage delivered structured, age-appropriate fire safety messaging throughout the day.

Interactive demonstrations and talks included how to crawl low under smoke, how to stop, drop and roll, emergency numbers, candle safety and home fire drills.

Other activities and role players of the day included firefighting vehicles on display from Govan Mbeki Municipality and Sasol, ambulance services, police and security companies, virtual driving tests and safety education, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) and HAMNET Pico balloon launch.