WORKING on Fire in KwaZulu-Natal, a Department of Environmental Affairs funded programme aimed at creating job opportunities and also focusing on implementing integrated fire management, has started early preparations for the 2016 winter fire season with its Yellow Card Training Camps at the Albert Falls Dam and at Umlalazi Nature Reserve.
Working on Fire KZN general manager, Carl van Loggerenberg, said, “The Yellow Card Training Camps are there to endure that all our fire-fighters are fit and ready for the upcoming fire season.
“Teams go through a three-day intensive training camp and fitness test, which includes push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and a 2.4-kilometre run. In addition we also give refresher training on health and safety, the use of fire-fighting equipment and fire suppression techniques,” he said.
All the 31 KZN teams will undergo these tests, whereby fire-fighters must be able to endure long hours on the fire line, which is the reason why the training is so important.
“Only fire fighters with a Yellow Card who have been assessed as fit can attend a call-out to a fire. This ensures the safety of our fire-fighters, community members and the organisations we partner with.”
As part of fire prevention measures, the province will also be launching its community fire awareness campaigns during May to ensure that these communities are aware of the dangers of fires and what to do in order to prevent them.
Working on Fire is a national resources that provides integrated fire management services to provincial and local municipalities and land owners, such as SANPARKS, and to fire protection associations.
