While responding to a structural fire in Uitsig, Elsie’s River on Thursday, Cape Town firefighters became victims of stone-throwing after first being intimidated by the sounds of gunshots, reports JP Smith in a Facebook post.
This comes just days after firefighters attending to a structural fire in Greenville, Kraaifontein endured a similar scenario on Monday, 2 October.
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According to Smith, the firefighters in both instances managed to extinguish the fires before retreating without suffering any injuries.
The fire engines, however, have had to be taken out of service for repairs as a result of the damage caused by the attacks.
Smith explained that fire engines act as the essential workhorse for any and all emergency responses carried out by the City’s Fire and Rescue Service, adding that damages not only result in tedious administration but also leave the most vulnerable communities adversely affected.
‘As a municipality, we have worked hard to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service is well equipped, arguably the best in South Africa,’ said Smith.
‘Besides the massive investment into additional vehicles, we have always ensured that every station has always had a working, well-maintained fire engine within its fleet.’
‘Both of these damaged vehicles will now need to be booked in for repairs, insurance assessments completed, claims finalised, parts ordered from manufacturers and repairs completed, a timeous exercise we need to comply with according to legislation.’
‘Sadly, it is then the most vulnerable who will be adversely affected,’ said Smith.
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Commenting on ongoing incidents of violence towards service officials, Smith expressed the City’s condemnation and appealed to residents to help protect its emergency responders.
‘We condemn the hostile actions of those who target our firefighters or those responding to similar emergencies as often occur with paramedics and ambulance staff. While firefighters are accustomed to risking their own safety on a daily basis against unforgiving flames, they are not trained to handle violent and aggressive, direct attacks from criminals.’
‘The resulting trauma inflicted upon members in this regard is therefore unacceptable,’ added Smith.
The City of Cape Town is offering rewards of up to R5 000 for any information, including cellphone video footage, that can help identify such perpetrators and which may lead to their arrest.
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Picture: City of Cape Town