#YourStory: 40 years of saving lives

“I’ve always known I had a story to tell and that story is how to save lives.”

Former Bedfordview firefighter, Mr Jan Liebenberg, has over 20 years experience in real life rescue scenarios and a further 20 years experience in the private or instruction sector.

It all started in 1975 when Jan joined the Johannesburg Central Fire Department as a young firefighter.

“Two years later we received news that a new fire station had opened. The Ted Kirkby Fire Station in Bedfordview. It was very unusual in those days and I applied to join the new station,” Jan said.

Not long afterwards, he was accepted.

In October of 1977, Jan took up his position as a firefighter with the now Bedfordview Fire Station.

Six years later, he resigned from the fire department to join the private sector in training.

While training new recruits and first aiders, Jan still stayed on at the Bedfordview Fire Station as a volunteer firefighter.

And three years into his stint as an instructor, Jan realised his heart was with the fire department.

In 1986, Jan reapplied to serve permanently with the Bedfordview Fire Department as a firefighter and paramedic.

“We were instrumental in the development of aquatic dive rescues at the station in the early 1980s. After the Westdene crash, we realised the importance of having the unit. We had Bruma Lake and Giloolly’s farm to cover.

“Already in the late 1970s, there was a drowning involving nine children and a young man after a freak flooding incident. We didn’t want to take any chances,” he said.

In 1992, Jan left the service again to join his friend Andre May in the training organisation IEFA as a facilitator.

“Andre was a great inspiration in my life and I later found out, before he died, that he found me to be an inspiration in his life,” Jan said.

He remained an instructor until 1999, when he left for the UK for a short period.

“When I returned home, I started South African Emergency Care (SAEC) in Modderfontein with just R37 in my back pocket.

“I lent money from friends and family and began my business. That is when I realised I could tell my story of how to save lives,” Jan said.

The training provided at SAEC was, and still is, based on events which took place in the life and career of Jan.

“I want to teach people to be able to intervene in a crisis situation so that they do not have to endure heartache and loss, so that they do not have to pull a tiny body from the water or a fire,” Jan said.

“That was what I did for 22 years in the firefighting and paramedical industry.

“When I started with the service, virtually no one besides trained personnel, could administer life saving CPR. We had a high mortality rate.

“It will always take a while for medical staff to arrive and during that time, an average person can save a life by simply administering first aid.

“Basic first aid can prevent the loss of life and that is what I am teaching now. Everything I’ve learnt over the years is taught to students,” Jan said.

In 2011, Jan and his wife attended the 10 year memorial service of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

The trip was made possible with the assistance of author Debra Jackson, who worked at ground zero in the months after the attacks.

“Debra was one of the first responders. They stayed on-site to offer support and medical treatment to the firefighters, search and rescue staff and the dogs who worked to clear the area,” Jan said.

On the day of the memorial service, Jan attended a Mass service in Central Park.

“There were 17 000 firefighters from around the world,” said Jan.

He was also part of the team which held the 20 metre by 10 metre American flag during the proceedings.

“It was the same flag that hung on the building behind ground zero while they were clearing the area,” Jan said.

Over the past eight years, Jan and his wife have worked tirelessly to make SEAC a successful business.

“We are also known as Station 33, but that all started as a joke. Thirty three is my lucky number and the last station in Johannesburg at the time was 27, so we figured it will take them a long time to build enough stations in Johannesburg to reach 33,” Jan joked.

Five years ago, SEAC and Scott Safety teamed up to host the first Fireman’s Challenge. The event has since become a national event.

“We’ve also hosted World Trauma Day and the Centrum Guardian Celebrity Challenge. Every month we host a burnout event, where members of the public can come and see how firefighters work,” Jan said.

The business has continued to grow over the years, with the team at SAEC playing host to a number of international firefighter teams including teams from Nigeria.

The restaurant and bar at SAEC has attracted a crowd of its own and more recently, SAEC discovered its burgers were rated among the top 50 in Johannesburg.

“At our core we want to teach people to save lives. We want to give them the tools to help others,” Jan said.

#YourStory

@EdenvaleJourno

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