There is a lot of talk going around about the difficulty of getting in touch with the right people when your house is on fire or you are bleeding in the street.
The Addie received the right contact numbers from Sandra Du Rand, of the Emergency Services head office in Bedfordview, for getting in contact with the Disaster and Emergency Services Department.
In the event of a fire:
- Step One: Calm down.
- Step Two: Evacuate the premises in a composed fashion.
- Step Three: Retrieve a cell phone.
- Step Four: Dial 011 458 0911.
- Step Five: Calmly explain to the operator what is happening and provide the address.
- Step Six: Do not shout at the nice lady or man, they are just trying to help.
- Step Seven: Wait for the fire department to arrive.
- Step Eight: Do not phone continuously, they are on their way.
We all know that a fire can be a very stressful situation, especially if your livelihood is at stake, but keeping a calm head will make you think strategically.
It is not going to help anyone, much less the situation, if you lose your head and scream at any poor passer-by.
The fire department will arrive as soon as they can.
Do not be a hero, they know what they are doing.
All calls are monitored and recorded and a reference number is given to each caller for easier enquiries at a later stage.
You can also contact 10177 or 112.
