The City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) received 42 brand-new ambulances on Thursday, 20 June as part of the Fleet Replacement Programme to substitute the current ageing and damaged fleet.
The newly acquired fleet will assist the EMS to respond effectively to the residents of Johannesburg with state of the art ambulances.
The Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, was joined by the MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, and the Acting Executive Head of the EMS, Nomathemba Mtshali, as they unveiled the 42 ambulances at Ivory Park Fire Station.
“These ambulances will now be handed over and distributed across various fire stations within the City. This will greatly assist with alleviating the strain on the current overstretched resources,” said Mashaba.
The new ambulances will replace the broken down and aging fleet, bringing the EMS fleet to 101 ambulances servicing Joburg residents. All 30 stations will each receive at least one ambulance and some will receive two, based on the call volume within that region.
Mashaba said, “Indeed, the deployment of these vehicles will be directed to some of our poorest communities who experience some of the highest call volumes. On average, the Emergency Command Centre receives over 30 000 emergency calls per month, ranging across medical, rescue and fire incidents. Joburg’s EMS being one of the largest of its kind in Africa, it plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of our residents.”
The City’s EMS performance in responding to Priority 1 medical calls currently averages at 85 per cent within 15 minutes.
Mashaba also said he had been informed that the Gauteng Provincial Government intends to take over the City of Johannesburg’s ambulance service.
“I am deeply concerned that the safety of our residents is at risk of being compromised should this take place. These concerns stem from the tragic Life Esidimeni saga, when Gauteng’s Department of Health removed patients from private care. This led to the deaths of 143 people. While the province is within its rights to run its own ambulance service, we believe that the transfer of City ambulances to the province would greatly hamper service delivery,” Mashaba said.
The City will continue engagements with the Province to safeguard the interests of its residents.
Mashaba encouraged the residents of Johannesburg to also take pride in the new fleet and ensure that paramedics are protected while they respond to emergencies.
He also expressed his appreciation to the MMC for Safety, Michael Sun, for the efforts made in procuring these ambulances and helping to bring better emergency services to residents.
These are the steps to be followed when calling an ambulance during an emergency:
• Contact the control centre on 10177 or 112 (when using a cellphone)
• Try to remain calm
• Identify the emergency
• Give your name and contact details
• State the nature of the incident
• Indicate the number of people involved
• Give the physical address and nearest corner or landmark
• Remain on the line as long as possible to answer the operator’s questions
“I believe that through the introduction of these new ambulances, we will continue to bring Diphetogo to the people of Johannesburg,” Mashaba concluded.
