Take a look at Fairview Fire Station
Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson, Ms Nana Radebe, said the station is one of the few super stations of the CoJ.
Built in 1905, the Fairview Fire Station is still considered one of the premier stations in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ).
Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson, Ms Nana Radebe, said the station is one of the few super stations of the CoJ.
“Our officers are both fire fighters and medical technicians. They can work at the fire engine and also in the ambulance. We treat many patients over the weekends. We attend to a number of patients with stab, bullet and burn wounds,” she said.
The station’s foundation was first laid on November 28, 1975 – this after Julius Jeppe ESQ and the Lighting Committee laid the first stone on the site on February 15, 1905.
The station was officially opened in 1979.
The station covers Troyville, Doornfontein, Bertrams, Bez Valley, Kensington, Jeppestown, Jeppestown South, Benrose, Denver and the informal settlements of Mangolongolo and Jumpers. But it is not limited to these areas as services cross over to nearby stations’ precincts when needed.
Previously known as the Jeppestown Fire Station, the station was refurbished and officially re-opened again in 1983.
One of the officers who has been at the station for about 35 years, Platoon Commander Mike Bocking, said when the station was opened for the second time the tower previously used as watch tower and to dry hoses, was then declared a heritage site.
“In the old days, firemen would go to the top of the tower with binoculars and look for fires. They would also hang their hoses over the tower to dry after washing them. The hoses would be muddy and dirty after tending to fires,” he said.
He said the station is situated at a strategic point and is accessible.
“It is situated on the main road. We have easy access to all directions. It’s not far from the suburbs we serve. We can go to the inner city, we can go to Kensington, Jeppestown, Bertrams and all our places with ease,” he said
Platoon Commander Bocking said in the new structure, living quarters were separated from the fire station.
“We only work at the fire station. Previously, firefighters used to live here. Now it accommodates council employees from different departments,” he said.
Because of the hours the firemen work, there was a need for the firefighters to have quarters at the station.
“Previously we used to work 24- and 48-hour shifts. You would start on Monday and work until Tuesday – from 7am to 7am. If there was no fire, the men would pass the time by washing and cleaning the fire engines. Now things have changed to 12 hour shifts,” he said
Ms Radebe reminded the public that all who walk in requiring assistance, will be assisted.
“The station attends to people who walk in with injuries, especially over the weekends. Our members are qualified to attend to them and we have at least one paramedic at the station,” she said.
