South Africa - Durban
8 June 2000 - info from www.durban.gov.za/emergency/index.htm
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Fire and Emergency Service
Fire Stations
Central Fire Station Phoenix Fire Station Durban North Fire Station Congella Fire Station Jacobs Fire Station Mobeni Fire Station Umlazi Fire Station Chatsworth Fire Station Tongaat Fire Station Verulam Fire Station Umhlanga Rocks Fire Station Prospecton Fire Station Amanzimtoti Fire Station Westville Fire Station Queensburgh Fire Station Pinetown Fire Station Gilletts Fire Station Hammersdale Fire Station Cato Ridge Fire Station
The position of these fire stations has evolved as the areas around Durban developed to decentralize our operational responses and maintain the quickest response times possible to all parts of our area. There is a higher concentration of fire stations in our southern area due to the generally higher fire risk found in that region arising from its extensive industrialization. (Industrialized areas are classified as high risk, as the intensity of industrial fires and their impact upon the community, as well as their economic impact, is far more serious than other types of fire). As such, it is imperative that these fires be responded to and dealt with in the shortest time possible.
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Area Of Responsibility
The Operations Section has served the whole of Durban, and for several years has provided fire and rescue services outside Durban, specifically in the areas of Umlazi, Kwa Mashu, Ntuzuma and Inanda. The Phoenix Fire Station has been extended, equipped and manned with an additional crew to protec KwaMashu, whilst an additional crew was stationed at Mobeni fire station to provide protection for Umlazi. This crew and equipment has now been transferred to the new Umlazi Fire Station. Durban Fire and Emergency Services is a leader in this region in providing services to disadvantaged areas. The Operations Section has also for several years responded to hazardous substances accidents (known as hazmat incidents) out of area, in terms of the "KwaZulu Natal Hazmat Protocol". In terms of this province-wide protocol, the Durban Fire and Emergency Services will respond to any hazmat incident which is beyond the capability of the Local Authority in whose area the incident occurs anywhere along the North and South Coasts, as well as East Griqualand.
Pietermaritzburg/Msinduzi Fire Department covers the Midlands and Zululand areas.
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Resources (being updated) This Section operates a wide variety of fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
28 "pumps" which are general purpose fire fighting/rescue vehicles; Two water tankers; One foam tanker One foam tender Three "aerial" appliances (one hydraulically operated ladder and two hydraulic platforms) One salvage and lighting unit One water rescue unit One boat One chemical incident unit One Incident Command Vehicle Several service vehicles All of the above vehicles (with exception of the pumps) are considered to be specialized vehicles.
This department has also recently begun acquiring "bakkie mounted skid units", which consist of a self-contained water tank, pump, and reel with a small diameter hose. These units are placed on the back of a bakkie, and can be transferred from bakkie to bakkie. These units are being acquired as pumps whilst our current pumps function well in built-up areas, and indeed even do well in the Informal Settlements. These bakkie mounted units are able in these circumstances to penetrate these areas and deliver water supplies where needed for fire fighting. Each pump carries a standard inventory of equipment commensurate with the vehicle's function.�
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Fire Safety
The mission of the Fire Safety Division is: To establish, implement and maintain procedures and systems to: Reduce the Severity and Frequency of uncontrolled fires and to; Identify and control potentially hazardous circumstances Phrased slightly differently, Fire Safety refers to the organisational operations, duties and activities concerned with ignition prevention, the reduction of fire casualties and the reduction of fire loss to property. In achieving these objectives the Fire Safety Division is involved principally in educational programs, survey programs, fire investigation programs and fire safety legislation enforcement.
The Fire Safety Division is based at the Central Fire Station, Centenary Road. The Division has an authorised staff establishment of a Division Commander, 12 Fire Specialists, one Fire Inspector and 1 Clerk. Traditionally, the division's area of responsibility has been limited to the Durban Municipal area, but recently it has assisted services outside the Durban Municipal area. An example, is the recently completed survey of Fire Safety and Community Protection in the Boroughs of Verulam and Yellowwood Park for those local authorities. Utilising newly commissioned electronic information systems, the division is positioned to play a valuable service to the Durban Metropolitan area and beyond should the need arise. The new technology also provides for dangers, and other important information, noted on inspections to be captured and to be made available to operational staff at the time of responding to emergencies, so theat they may protect the community and themselves better against dangers.
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Firefighters work shifts like the New York City FD - 2 day shifts - 2 night shifts - then ?3 or ?4 days off.
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Public Safety Answer Point
Emergency Communications Centre Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) are Centralised Emergency Centre where all Emergency Calls for� Police - Fire - Mecial - etc are answered by trained call takers/despatchers. Rescue 911 (on SABC), has become a � very popular program amongst many South Africans.� Each of those 911 centre are known as a PSAP.� In South Africa the Single 3 Digit Emergency Number is "107" (NOT OPERATIONAL AS YET) - USE 031 361 0000 or your local Emergency Number. The mission of the PSAP is to provide our residents with a quick and efficient method/means of accessing the emergency services, to support the Emergency Service Providers throught superior call taking and despatching facilities.
the Centre Works? The Durban Metro Emergency Services Communications Centre (PASP) is served by an advanced CAD (Computer Aided Despatch) system, Automatic Call Distribution (providing ANI - Automatic Number Identification), cross referenced to various databases (including streets, suburbs, locations, gis and so on) which provides the relevant information, in respect of the telehone number. The Call Taker determines which emergency service, or services should respond to the scene. This call is either despatched by a Despatcher within the centre or transferred to the relevant Emergency Service. Over 95% of calls are dispatched with 60 seconds of being answered. �
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The Durban Police now have 1000 employees and their jurisdiction was recently expanded from just the City of Durban to the Transitional Territory.
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Helo Ambulance - I think I saw on at www.alecbuck.com
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