Compelled by duty, heroes sacrifice for the safety of their community.
Founded by Jono Martin and Anton Gerber, Community Group Firefighter Association (CGFA) is a volunteer community-based firefighters group providing urgent assistance to those in danger. The non-profit company (NPC) is a team of trained, qualified and internationally certified firefighters acting as an extra set of hands for a municipal fire service stretched of time and resources.
Through rapid response times, CGFA ensures the saving of critical seconds that save precious lives and valuable assets. Serving since 2019, the crew of nine volunteers operate in Johannesburg’s northern and western suburbs that include but are not limited to Northworld, Honeydew, Randpark Ridge, Boskruin, Bromhof, Weltevreden Park, Welview and Little Falls.
While financial support does come from residents and businesses in their areas that value their mission, the majority of the costs are covered by the volunteers themselves. Firefighting equipment and quality apparel are costly but the duty of service is a labour of love.
“They are the ones who fund their own education, fire suits and any additional expenses such as cleaning and decontaminating tools which we need after we’ve responded to an incident,” said Jono, the CGFA director.
“Our fleet is made up of personal vehicles which are owned and maintained by our volunteers. They carry their own as well as some of the entity’s equipment, but again this is a cost that our volunteers carry, which we are looking to try and alleviate to some extent with the resources we have available.
“This is how we, as volunteers, can give back and ultimately help our community the best way we know how with the skill sets that we have at our disposal,” Jono added.
The NPC members’ international certification means that the standard to which they hold themselves is of the highest calibre. “With an international certification, our members have covered content on first aid, rescue as well as vehicle extrication and firefighting in industrial, commercial and residential property, and are mandated to have hazmat operations level certifications,” he stated.
Long-term goals include the expansion of a dedicated rescue unit as well as educational material that could help educate the community on fire prevention. Fundraising is an active part of that growth but Jono stressed that one cannot put a figure on success.
Highlighting CGFA’s mission, he said, “For us it’s not about the number of calls we receive, or that we respond to. It’s about the difference we make. We count a success as a fire that was successfully put out, a life that was saved, or the successful distribution of information that prevented a fire incident.”
