Johannesburg fire trucks: R400 million allocated to improve firefighting

Johannesburg’s firefighting capacity is set for reinforcements in the near future.

The municipality has allocated almost R400 million for fire-related upgrades in the city’s proposed Integrated Development Plan for the next three financial years.

The IDP is currently being discussed in public participation sessions, which will be running until mid-May before being finalised.

R316 million for fire engines

Firefighting in the city falls under priority seven — a safer city — in the mayoral priorities outlined in the 2023 State of the City Address.

The IDP identifies an insufficient number of fire engines and a shortage of skills as the primary challenges the city’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) face in executing their responsibilities.

To rectify this, the city has proposed the procurement of 15 fire engines and the recruitment of 43 firefighters over the next three years.

The total budget for the upgrade is R398 million over three financial years and will include the recruitment of additional fire safety inspectors to deal with hijacked buildings, which are considered high-risk fire hazards.

“This includes exploring modern firefighting technologies such as drones with cameras for real-time situational assessment, which will enhance firefighting techniques and firefighter safety,” stated the IDP.

A proposed R316 million was allocated for the fire engines alone, with R123 million of that coming in the 2025/26 financial year.

55% of calls responded to in 15 minutes

Based on the most recent annual report, the city recorded 144 fire-related deaths per 100 000 residents in the 2023/24 financial year.

EMS have a target of dispatching responders within three minutes of a call being received, a goal they were able to meet with 60% of reported fires.

Of all fire and rescue calls responded to, EMS met their 15-minute on-scene response time target on 55% of their calls.

In terms of accessing water, the IDP states that 80% of fire hydrants are repaired within 48 hours of their defects being reported.

“EMS is also bolstering its operational capacity and technology integration to improve emergency response,” the IDP states.

R77.3 million telecommunications hub

To decrease the distance between calls, the city recently opened a new fire station in the inner city where more firefighters have been stationed to deal with high-demand areas.

“Plans are in place to construct new fire stations in other high-call areas like Alexandra and Lehae to further improve coverage,” the IDP states.

While R20 million has been allocated for a new station in Alexandra in 2026/27 and 2027/28, no budget has been included for stations in Lehae and Marshalltown.

Other fire station-related expenses include R4 million over three years for furniture and R6.69 million for standby generators over the same period.  

Additionally, the city has signed a memorandum with provincial government to integrate ambulance services, which will see ambulances stationed at city fire stations.

To improve the operational efficiency of all disaster management arms of the city, the municipality is proposing a R77.3 million “telecommunications multiplexer”.

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