“Firefighting is no easy job, but if you have a passion for it, it is the most rewarding experience you can imagine.”
These are the words of Hoërskool Randburg youngster Dean Swanepoel, who is a volunteer firefighter who aims to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers and their passion for the safety of others.
“As I am currently in matric at Hoërskool Randburg, I work here voluntarily when I have free time. I am here as much as I can be,” he said.
Swanepoel added that he had grown up in the fire department, surrounded by fire engines, hoses and safety equipment, and now works alongside his father who is a senior officer at Fire Ops SA.
When he is not studying hard for his matric exams, he makes his way to Marshalltown where the privately-owned emergency services company is based and has helped to fight many fires in the three months that he has been volunteering there.
He said his most hectic experience so far at work was the fighting of a double-storey house blaze in Randburg a few weeks ago.
“It was a very difficult fire to fight, and the result was that the entire property burned to the ground. I can remember how big those flames were, and it was such a crazy experience. I’m so glad that we were there to help.”
Proud dad Rudi said even though firefighting could be a very dangerous profession, he was proud of his son’s aspirations.
“As a firefighter for 22 years and a dad, it’s only natural to worry about your child going into these situations thinking about your own experiences. This career is very intense, but I support him fully and I am extremely proud. I am happy that I can be there every step of the way for him,”
Rudi previously worked at City of Johannesburg Emergency Services Management before joining Fire Ops SA.
“My father was a firefighter too, and he started his career in 1974, and straight after school I joined the fire department,” he said.
“This is definitely a career that I wish to pursue, and it is a massive passion for me. I love helping other people, and my family has a legacy of doing such, and I will be proud if I can continue it,” concluded Dean.
