Local firefighter returns after assisting in Alberta wildfires
His experience can now be used locally.
The firefighter from our area who was part of the recent Working on Fire (WoF) Kishugu Joint Venture deployment to Canada is back on home soil.
Peter Sesing, a firefighter from the Abe Bailey base, was part of a group of 200 firefighters who assisted in battling fires in Canada’s Alberta province.
“Sesing said firefighting is his calling and he is dedicated to saving lives and properties. This was his first deployment. He said the mission has been accomplished as anticipated,” says the communication officer of the WoF in Gauteng, Parapara Makgahlela.
”I was physically and mentally fit during this deployment. We have accomplished what was set out to be achieved. I represented my country well. The Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture’s firefighters displayed discipline and dedication by ensuring their safety was not compromised,” says Sesing.
According to Makgahlela, the group of firefighters were first trained at the Kishugu Training Academy in Nelspruit to be equipped with the skills and knowledge of wildland firefighting.
“Sesing said they worked with firefighters from other parts of the globe. This, he said is a testament to their competence. He said the Canadians appreciated their presence in battling the fires,” says Makgahlela.
”We have made our contribution and that is very vital. It was also a learning curve as South Africa is not immune from the wildland fires. Climate change exacerbates the intensity, frequency, and spread of wildland fires,” added Sesing.
