A concerned local recently contacted the City Times regarding Ekurhuleni metro’s emergency services turnaround time to respond to an emergency situation.
According to the resident, she made several phone calls to the emergency services following an incident involving her mother.
ALSO READ:
Ekurhuleni named best metro in water supply
“All of these numbers on first attempt did not work,” said the resident.
“I was cut off several times and, when I eventually got through and provided the details required including what was the condition of my mother, I was given seriously bad attitude,” said the resident.
“About 15 minutes later after them not arriving, I called again. I was put through to the Benoni ambulance department who then cut my call after answering, more than once.
“Eventually, after 45 minutes, I was through to an incredibly rude man who told me that there are many people waiting for ambulances and if I go outside, I will see that people are all waiting for things.
“About an hour after my first call to public services, I called again and I was advised that there are no ambulances available in Benoni.
“By this point, I had reached a point of frustration and desperation.”
The resident said she then contacted a private emergency service who assisted her, but it did come at a cost.
“It was a life-threatening emergency, one where I did all I could from my side, and yet again was horribly let down by pathetic staff.”
The City Times contacted the Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntadi regarding resources and what people can expect when making a call to emergency services.
“It is with great sympathies to the family concerned to have experienced such an ordeal while faced with a life- threatening emergency in the Ekurhuleni metro,” said Ntladi.
“DEMS services the metro’s residents with devotion and delicacy in terms of roles and responsibilities expected of them.
“DEMS is proud to mention that its call centre numbers that members of the public are required to use when faced with life threatening and non- life-threatening emergencies, are always printed and marketed in the correspondence to the residents from the metro.
“In terms of resources in the fire stations within the metro, everything is allocated in accordance to the risk and the inhabitants in that area.
“If the resource is still engaged somewhere and there is secondary call that needs to be serviced in the same area, the backup station resources will always be activated to accommodate.
“Benoni is subdivided into two operational demarcations.
“Rynfield, Farrermere and Leon Ferreira (Boksburg) fire stations operate in one district while Benoni central fire station belongs to another operational district.
“In terms of service delivery request, members should phone the metro’s call centre number which in return works hand-in-glove with the dispatching centres in the three operational regions of Ekurhuleni.
“The relevant dispatching centre will in return be able to dispatch the relevant resources as per address.”
Ntladi provided the following emergency contact numbers:
• Ekurhuleni municipality life threatening emergency number: 011 458 0911
• Cell phone emergency number (international toll-free number): 112
• National emergency number with different call centres depending on where one phones from (national toll-free number): 10177
• SAPS crime-related emergency line: 10111.
