Fire chief sets the record straight
Fire chief: Toekomsrus is on our doorstep, there is no way it took us 45 minutes to respond.
Benny Mohlabeng, public safety regional commander has set the record straight regarding the recent Toekomsrus shack fire.
His department came under fire after single mom Esperanca Sara and her son were left homeless by the fire in their shack.
Neighbours who claim they extinguished the fire said they waited 45 minutes for the Fire Department to arrive. They also alleged they themselves had to fetch firefighters to put out the blaze.
Barry Adams, one of the first responders on the scene said, “When I got here, everyone was trying to call the Fire Department but most of them were put on hold. Firefighters eventually got here 45 minutes later, but by then we had already put out the fire. They had such an attitude and were rude to us.”
Mohlabeng said the community’s accusations are unfounded as he has records to prove his firefighters responded within five minutes.
“Toekomsrus is on our doorstep, there is no way it took us 45 minutes to drive a few kilometres to extinguish a fire,” he said.
Mohlabeng explained that in most cases the community does not dial the correct number. He said they dial a national number, which has to be rerouted to the relevant fire station. This could take a while.
He said residents should always make sure they call 107 (on a land line) or 011 951 3000 (on a cellphone) to reach their local emergency services directly.
“Do not use 112; this is a Cape Town number and it takes longer for us to get the call, that’s why it seems we take longer than we should. Also, if residents want to enquire about a call, there are no records on the 112 number to prove it had been made,” he said.
Mohlabeng stated their response time in areas around the Randfontein Central Business District (CBD) is between 10 to 15 minutes.
“We also encourage residents – especially adult residents – to support our safety and fire-awareness campaigns to know exactly what to do in an emergency and whom to call,” he added.
Mohlabeng is planning a series of awareness campaigns at schools as well as for the greater community to educate them on fire safety.
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Also read:
Blaze leaves single mom and son homeless
Droogeheuwel blaze: Owners comment
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