Two firefighters are again gearing up to run for charity and fire safety awareness during the Totalsports Two Oceans half marathon.
Also read: City firefighters share their experiences of doing a half marathon in full gear
Jermaine Carelse and Renaldo Duncan will take on the marathon in full firefighting gear. However, the duo will add a twist weighing 10 kilograms – their self-containing breathing apparatus (SCBA).
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The 50-year-old Carelse has been a firefighter for more than 23 years. He is based in Goodwood as a Divisional Commander in the Command and Control Centre – the hub of the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) Fire Service. He has completed the Two Oceans half marathon five times, twice in gear, and the ultra-marathon once.
Duncan is 36-years-old, with 14 years of firefighting experience. He is based at the Sir Lowry’s Pass Fire Station and started running in 2012 with Carelse.
This is the third time the experienced firefighters will race in their uniforms, and the second in support of Volunteer Wildfire Service (VWS), to raise awareness and funds.
Last year, the pair raised R181 000 for VWS thanks to donations from individuals and corporates. ‘Jermaine and Renaldo have generated such goodwill and positivity with this initiative, and we are hoping for a similar outpouring of support this year,’ says Alderman JP Smith, Cape Town’s Mayco member for safety and security.
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‘Cape Town has had one of the most extraordinary wildfire seasons in history, and it has pushed firefighting agencies to the limit. We would have been far worse off without the members of the Volunteer Wildfire Services, working side by side with career firefighters on the frontline, to protect lives and property.
‘The City is incredibly grateful to VWS, and we’re immensely proud of Jermaine and Renaldo for their efforts to drum up support for the organisation. I am confident that Capetonians will throw their weight behind our firefighters, and VWS.’
VWS, a registered non-profit, depends on public and corporate donations to cover its operating expenses. Training each volunteer firefighter and providing basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) costs about R7 500.
According to CoCT, volunteers must buy their backpacks, fire boots, water, and nutrition for firefighting activities.
‘We are extremely grateful for the assistance and up until now, that has kept us going. We [want] to do more, but are limited by the increasing cost of our operations,’ says Claire Lötter, VWS CEO.
‘Our biggest expense at the moment is our vehicles, with our oldest being a 28-year-old Land Rover people carrier. You’ll see our bright yellow vehicle running around the mountain during times of disaster, ferrying eight volunteers at a time.
‘The cost of maintaining our ageing fleet is draining our resources and we are desperately trying to reduce this burden. All of us at VWS are deeply appreciative of Jermaine and Renaldo’s selfless act of running this marathon again on our behalf to raise much-needed funds.
‘We will be there, both at the starting line and the finish line, to cheer them on.’
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Also read:
Watch: City firefighters will run the Two Oceans Half Marathon in full gear
Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook