Shocking state of ELM Fire Department

Fire engines and vehicles now have licences to use public roads after the visit.

However, rumours that the Fire Station Tower – a symbol of fire stations world-wide – had been condemned as unfit for use could not be confirmed or denied with ELM at the time of going to the press.

Organised business is highly concerned that the ELM Fire Department is poorly prepared for the challenges of winter – the traditional fire season in the Highveld – with vastly increased risk of township blazes, veld fires and traffic pile ups.

The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) and Vereeniging Business Community (VBC) delegation could not believe their own eyes at the shoddy levels of maintenance, housekeeping and general discipline at the facility.

Fire Department members also recently gate-crashed a senior ELM management meeting and conducted themselves in a threatening and severely undisciplined manner, sources said.

The business delegation was headed by GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger and VBC head Kevin Jackson who both expressed shock at the state of the Fire Station facility. Administrator Martins also attended but did not comment. Both Kritzinger and Jackson praised the excellent beautification work done by car dealers Koos and Mike – who are GTCoC members – around the adjacent traffic circle and the Fire Station precinct itself. Jackson and the VBC have already made major contributions to upgrading the Vereeniging Fire Station in the city centre – another ELM facility.

“Everything seemed to be very dirty and badly-maintained and did not inspire confidence at all in the operational efficiency of the Vanderbijlpark Fire Station.

“Parking bays which should have been filled with gleaming red fire engines were instead occupied by the gleaming cars of fire department managers and operational trucks were dirty – the overall state of readiness and motivation of personnel was just shocking,” said both Kritzinger and Jackson.