Officials from the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), along with the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), visited the Elandsvallei Home for the Aged on October 10 to kick off Fire Safety and Prevention Week.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about fire hazards in elderly care facilities, a growing concern in the City of Ekurhuleni following several fire incidents in recent years.
DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi explained that the visit focused on preventing structural fires, which pose serious risks to both residents and staff.
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“We covered topics such as the dangers of smoking in bed and the safe use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which the facility uses for cooking,” Ntladi said.
The team also demonstrated the use of smoke alarms to help alert residents of potential fires and conducted a safety inspection of the building’s fire extinguishers, hose reels, and escape plans to ensure compliance with fire safety standards.
As a token of appreciation, officials presented fleece blankets and scarves to the home’s management to help keep residents warm when it is cold.
The Fire Safety Week campaign, which began on October 7, will run through all three regions of Ekurhuleni until October 11.
