Alberton firefighters on high alert this winter

In winter, firefighters put out more house fires than any other season, according to the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson, William Ntladi.

Alberton Fire Station firefighters are on high alert this winter and promise to commit their lives to protect life, property, pets, and nature.

In winter, the Alberton Fire Station is especially concerned about residential areas, although fires also break out in industrial areas.

Alberton Fire Station manager, Thomas Zulu, weighed in on the station’s readiness to combat fires this winter.

“Concerning resources, we have personnel who are forever ready and working around the clock to extinguish fires. We also have vehicles with different water capacity and capabilities, and pumps as our Ambassador truck,” he said.

He encouraged the community and factory owners to cut long grass and clean vegetation around their premises to avoid grass fires from spreading to their property.

Ntladi reiterated winter is fire season and that locals should be extra cautious.

“We know we have a challenge with load-shedding, which forces residents to use alternative means of cooking and warming themselves. You find they use an LPG gas system, with some using braziers or fireplaces,” he explained.

According to Ntladi, they have a proactive section, the Public Information, Education and Relations (PIER) sub-section, educating communities about fire safety.

“We have officers assigned across the city bringing awareness to keeping the community safe when using other alternative sources.

“We have realised it made a difference if we educate the community. We have house fires here and there, even within Alberton, but we are glad to say not as many fires break out as in the past. These fires are mostly occurring accidentally,” he said.

He also urged the community to report emergencies on time by contacting their emergency number on 011 458 0911.

“It helps us with the response time. Our call centre is centralised and can dispatch the nearest fire station to where the services are required. The public must provide us with the correct address and challenges we might encounter on the scene,” he said.

Ntladi warned the community to be on high alert regarding fireplaces and lapas to safeguard themselves from harmful gases.