The City of Cape Town has appointed a new fire chief. Clinton Manuel has a career in firefighting spanning more than three decades and has now been tasked with leading from the front in Cape Town’s Fire & Rescue Service.
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The appointment comes seven months after the retirement of his predecessor, Ian Schnetler.
Schnetler was on hand at the Epping Fire Station on Thursday to award the new CFO with his accreditation stars.
Manuel joined the Cape Town Municipal Fire Brigade as a learner firefighter in February 1989.
He has served at numerous fire stations in various capacities since joining the Fire Service, including Lakeside, Epping, Salt River, Roeland Street, Gugulethu and the Epping Training Centre (later renamed the Fire & Rescue Service Training Academy).
Over time, he earned additional certification qualifications to advance in the ranks, including a National Diploma in Fire Service Technology in 1995 and a degree in Public Management.
‘I am incredibly proud but humbled by the appointment and that the City has entrusted the Fire and Rescue Service to my leadership, he said. ‘I will do my utmost to repay that trust. I want to thank my predecessor for the solid foundation he built and I call on each and every employee in the Fire and Rescue Service but also all of our residents to work together in ensuring that we continue building a strong and resilient Fire Service and make our city safer.’
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, welcomed the appointment.
‘Chief Manuel has a stellar track record and I have no doubt that Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service is in good hands,’ Smith added. ‘He knows the service inside out, he is well familiar with the hundreds of firefighters under his watch, and he has a passion for training, development and advancement – all of the things that will help take our service to the next level. We are already one of the best, if not the best functioning Fire and Rescue Service in the country, and I look forward to seeing what additional plaudits our new chief will lead us to.’
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Picture: Supplied / CoCT