The new vehicles have been added to the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services’ fleet, at a cost of R34-million.
“This marks the beginning of a new era,” Masina said.
“The current ratio of ambulances to the size of the communities we service is not right.
“We have taken the decision to go big on the new fleet to deal with this imbalance.
“In addition to this we will be building new EMS schools and capacity among young people who are not working, so that we will be able to respond to the needs of the community.
“We are delighted about the new fleet which has the capabilities to service our communities in the right way.”
Masina highlighted that the metro is taking the issues of emergency services very seriously and “to another level.”
Kushi Adamou, from Angelo Kater – the company that did the conversions to the new ambulances – said the conversions were professional, convenient and designed for safety and maximum flexibility.
“We have also added more child-friendly features to the vehicles, since children also use the ambulance service.
“We have also added convenient hand basins and cupboards,” he said.
MMC for Community Safety Vivian Chauke urged community members to take care of the ambulances as they are there to respond to emergency needs and to improve service delivery.
William Ntladi, District Manager Media Liaison Emergency Services, said the emphasis of the new vehicles is on the sustainability of quality service delivery and improved and quicker response time to medical emergency calls.
“This new addition will intensify quality rescue and emergency medical services requirements within the metro.”
