Municipality holds road-shows to prevent fires
Communities need to be reminded of precautionary measures when using potentially dangerous equipment and also to be encouraged to implement fire breaks around their homes
UThukela District Municipality carried out winter season disaster awareness road-shows from June 23 to 29.
This was done across all five local municipalities to educate communities about issues related to fire, veld fires and other disaster scenarios which are prone to occur at this time of the year.
The purpose of these community disaster awareness campaigns was to promote a culture of risk avoidance behaviour among communities through integral education and public awareness, and also to increase knowledge on a multitude of hazards and safety practices.
The winter season is associated with veld fires on farms, strong winds and high temperatures. All these conditions can cause complex occurrences. During this cold season, communities use many forms of heat generation to warm their homes, some of which are dangerous.
Most rural communities are still living in traditional thatched houses which are vulnerable to fires. Therefore, communities need to be reminded of precautionary measures when using potentially dangerous equipment and also to be encouraged to implement fire breaks around their homes.
Veld / farm fires are a cause for concern during the winter season and the majority of these fires are caused by human negligence.
Not forgetting that winter is also flu season. Therefore it is of utmost importance that community disaster awareness campaigns incorporate public health issues.
“Increasing public awareness about hazards is a vital element in any comprehensive strategy for disaster risk reduction,” said Mr Nqobizizwe Mabaso from the uThukela District Disaster Management Centre (DDMC). The DDMC has the responsibility to promote public awareness of hazards and risks on a continuous basis in order to create a culture of prevention, and there needs to be a large degree of public participation and understanding.
“Public awareness and the creation of widespread understanding about disaster reduction are crucial elements in disaster risk management strategies. However, in order to sustain public awareness, other sectors of society must be involved in the dissemination of information,” Mr Mabaso concluded.
Vital information tips were shared with the community during the road-shows.
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