Barnard doesn’t play with fire
One of the many people who defended George last year against the raging wild fires is Neels Barnard, fire chief of the George municipality.
Barnard has been at the forefront of defending homes and people in some of the most dramatic fires in the Southern Cape since 1988 and has been an active role player in Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) in the Southern Cape for 25 years. Upon first meeting Neels, he comes across as quiet, but he is not to be underestimated. When it comes to effective firefighting, his passion asserts itself.
"Sitting in long meetings to give feedback on a fire that is still raging, makes no sense to me - I serve my community best by being where the fire is. Emergency situations call for quick decision-making and strong leadership under pressure, so that is where and when I do my talking," he says.
Aged 55, Barnard's career included spells in the army, serving as magistrate's clerk and doing hotel work before he started at George Ambulance and Fire. "Those days ambulance and fire were one service and we would work rotation shifts on each," he says. "The ambulance work was exhausting, demanding and quite thankless."
In 1997 the two services split and he could concentrate on firefighting, which had become his passion. Barnard was appointed as a leading firefighter in 1998, divisional commander in 2008 and has been acting fire chief since 2010. The George municipal area has grown and with it the number of fire emergencies. "Major wildfires in the Southern Cape in the past few years have highlighted the unique challenges local fire departments face," he says.
Barnard considers the firefighting staff in George as uniquely committed to their work. "On every fire our firefighters give 150%. When I read incident reports, I marvel at the committed attempts to not only safeguard people, but also at their genuine efforts to save as much as possible of the people's property, which is often meagre and not insured. I am proud to be part of George Fire and Rescue and remain committed to my people and my community." - Article by Athane Scholtz, George Municipality