Morale low at Joburg fire stations as just 10 fire engines left out of 100
LOW staff morale and lack of infrastructure and equipment are some of the issues affecting the City of Joburg’s emergency services department.
The department has in recent times recorded some of the country’s worst levels of incapacity.
This was revealed by Public Safety MMC David Tembe, who this week conducted a series of inspection visits of the city's 31 fire stations. The team visited five on the list of the MMC as he continued on his fact-finding mission across the city.
On Tuesday, he said the city had gone from having more than 100 fire
engines to just 10, which continues to hinder City of Johannesburg’s capacity to fight fire and respond to emergencies in a satisfactory way.
The city’s infrastructure continues to show signs of decay and negligence resulting in low productivity and other issues affecting employees of the department.
The MMC noted staff morale in most of the fire stations was low and no leader from the city had conducted such a visit in more than 11 years.
Tembe, who has worked in the emergency services department, said the city’s fire engine fleet had crumbled to near collapse after the loss of more than 90% of its vehicles.
“In 2001, when I was still with EMS, we had more than 100 fire engines in the City of Johannesburg, but now we have less than 10. This is a situation I want to fix as soon as possible. Our residents must feel safe and it is our duty as a multiparty government to ensure that,” he said.
In recent years, the city has relied on fire engines borrowed from other cities, such as Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. Having visited stations such as Lonehill this week, Tembe says he is looking to visit more stations as he continues his fact-finding mission across all fire departments under his care.
“I received valuable input from dedicated colleagues who make my job rewarding. They have braved the cold to attend this important meeting. Every job needs a right attitude and with this combination, we are on the right track,” he said.
Established in 1890, the City of Johannesburg Emergency Services has 31 fire stations across the city’s seven regions. Over the years, the department has become a shadow of its former self. At a meeting during the Lonehill stop, Tembe promised he and his team would do everything in their power to restore the department to its former glory.
“We are going to explore everything legally to make sure all our fire stations work and provide efficient service. This is our commitment to you as a servant to the people of this city,” he said, during his last stop for the day.