Fire trucks sit dormant in depots as municipalities complain about shortage

Firefighting capabilities in many municipalities are hampered due to a lack of equipment. Meanwhile, hundreds of fire trucks that were given to the government have been standing idle in depots.

Some of the fire trucks have been inactive for up to two years.

Much-needed fire trucks inactive

This is according to a report in the Sunday Times, which claims the fleet of fire trucks has been neglected.

The trucks were given to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment by Working on Fire (WoF), which is part of the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The government was then supposed to distribute them to municipalities.

However, they are sitting in depots, and many have allegedly been stripped of batteries, tyres, and the equipment they were fitted with, the report states. Others have expired licences.

ALSO READ: WATCH: New chief Andries Mucavele vows to address Joburg’s fire engine shortage

To make matters worse, WoF MD Trevor Abrahams said the group had asked the department if it could buy back or lease the fire trucks from the department, but the offer was not accepted. 

The cost of maintaining these fire trucks is high.

‘Gross negligence’

The North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association’s Erich Stoch said the dire situation is due to “gross negligence”. 

“At the end of 2022 we had 10 [WoF] vehicles in the province and the fire situation was improving. Then, in October 2023, the [department] came and removed all those vehicles … We offered to manage and maintain the vehicles at zero cost to them, but they refused,” Stoch said. 

Shortage of fire trucks in Gauteng

Earlier this week, Tshepo Motlhale of the Gauteng Disaster Management Centre detailed the shortage of fire trucks in the province during an interview on Radio 702.

He said the City of Johannesburg only has half the number of fire engines it needs.

ALSO READ: More than 200 families affected after fire destroys Selby informal settlement

Motlhale added that Gauteng has 92 fire trucks, but only 57 can be used.

He said the lack of maintenance of the fire trucks is because of inadequate funding.

This is not a new problem either. In July 2024, Robert Mulaudzi, the spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg’s emergency services, said the metro only had 11 fire trucks available to it. However, private firefighting services at the time said there were probably far fewer trucks available.

NOW READ: Joburg EMS on alert as heatwave temperature to top 37°C