Help Roodepoort avoid devastating aftermath
By becoming a disaster management volunteer, residents can help suburbs avoid the devastating aftermath of local emergencies.
Resident volunteers could help the city avoid disasters playing out in the suburbs and even informal settlements.
This according to the Region C Disaster Advisory Sub Forum, who met again this morning (19 January) and made this their top priority during the discussion.
To date, they’ve managed to register 29 volunteers with the city’s Disaster Management Centre. In the meeting, which was led by resident and Florida CPF member Ebrahim Hoosen, it was decided that the volunteers would attend a three-day training workshop in February to prepare them for their duties, should they be called upon. The sub forum’s council consists of various stakeholders in emergency management, including the Department of Home Affairs, Roodepoort Police, Florida Fire Station and Joburg EMS among others. The workshop would be facilitated by the centre.
According to Ward 71 councillor Gert Niemand, who serves on the council of the forum, the council has already identified several disaster ‘hot spots’ in the area where emergency situations like veld and shack fires are a regular occurrence. The point is to create a group of volunteers who will be willing to help out in such a situation, be first responders to the scene and aid Joburg EMS in managing emergencies.
The sub forum hopes to recruit many more volunteers, to the extent that a group of people can be trained every month.
Another key point of discussion during the meeting was the Transnet petroleum pipeline which runs through Region C. It is planted around one meter deep and a concern in terms of disaster management. Should residents not be aware of it and say, drill into it, the effects could be disastrous and get out of control, Niemand said.
Volunteers are not expected to serve on the council or attend every meeting but act more as an emergency back-up group for their communities. To get involved, contact Gert Niemand on 078 743 9681 or via email at ticket@polka.co.za
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