FIREFIGHTERS
simulate a rescue on a vehicle crushed by a shipping container during a demonstration of the City’s Fire and Rescue Service’s newest vehicles yesterday.
THE CITY’s Fire and Rescue Service showcased its latest acquisition of new vehicles yesterday.
The Iveco Trakker 8x4 has a 420 horsepower engine and a crane, its primary function is to clear roads as quickly as possible after a motor vehicle crash, specifically heavy motor vehicle accidents.
“Over the last decade there has been numerous incidents where large trucks dropped their loads or crashed. The acquisition of the new vehicle has been long overdue and it will reside somewhere close to the intersection of the N1 and N2, M5 where many of these significant truck disasters occur. We will now be able to respond better in the future and resolve the situation because if we don’t, it could have significant impacts on our economy such as congesting the city for the entire day,” said mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.
The overall investment in service vehicles for fire and rescue by the safety and security directorate amounts to R17.5 million in the current financial year. It took two years for the heavy duty towing and rescue vehicle to be attained.
Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the vehicle was the first of its kind for the fire services.
It was important to acquire this type of rescue vehicle, Carelse said, because if a truck or container fell on to another vehicle, it could take a few hours for a recovery vehicle to arrive: the new Iveco Trakker would be able to provide a swifter response to these types of incidents.
Fifteen staff members at Goodwood fire station have already been trained on how to operate the vehicle and more staff would be trained in the coming months.
Divisional commander William Olivier said the other new equipment acquired included a 4x4 generator vehicle which would assist in fighting mountain and wilderness wildfires, and new Iveco Daily 4x4 vehicles which would be easier to navigate through informal settlements. There was also a new vacuum tank truck which would assist with water extraction.
There are also two new fire stations in the pipeline for Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and Masiphumelele, which should be up and running by the end of the year.