Emergency Management Services on high alert ahead of festive season
JOHANNESBURG – Residents of Joburg are encouraged to keep safe during this festive season.
City of Joburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) will be on high alert this festive season with all 28 fire stations throughout the city expected to be fully operational during the holidays.
This according to EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi who said most of the City’s firefighters and paramedics will not be taking leave during the holiday season.
Mulaudzi said they will render effective professional services all the time as mandated by their foremost responsibility of saving lives and properties of Joburg residents.
“We promise to keep you safe during your holiday period,” Mulaudzi said.
Read: Emergency services urge residents to be vigilant
“So we would like to wish all the residents of the City of Joburg a safe festive season and those who will be visiting the city to enjoy their holidays.
“It is important for our communities to be more careful and vigilant. The hustle and bustle of parties, shopping and entertainment make the festive season a time when people are more prone to incidents than any other time of the year.”
According to EMS, the festive season is the time where they receive a number of calls for drowning incidents which are mostly influenced by alcohol consumption.
According to Mulaudzi, adults consume alcohol and in the process attempt to jump into a swimming. “Even if you have the necessary skills while you are under the influence of alcohol, you are not going to perform to your best ability. Hence we saying don’t drink and swim.
“We might also be receiving a lot of rainfall which might fill most of our river streams and dams yet our children might be tempted to swim in this dangerous areas we might have a number of drowning incidents during the holiday season.
The EMS urges young children to visit some of the City’s municipal swimming pools which are operational during the holiday period. “There are lifeguards on-site to monitor the children while swimming.”
As for motorists, he encouraged them to obey the rules of the road, keep to the prescribed speed limit and arrive alive as they travel from their various destinations.
