In
light of the devastating fires that recently engulfed large parts of Cape
Town’s Noordhoek/Silvermine/Tokai areas, the Good Party expresses concern not
only for the affected residents and the damage to property and ecosystems, but
also for the apparent gaps in oversight and preparedness.
Good City of Cape Town Councillor Roscoe Palm said ”As GOOD we remain concerned
about the Capacity of the City’s first line of defence to fight fires.”
In
a statement, Palm revealed that Backup fleets that supposedly exist are
non-operational or poorly maintained. One replacement vehicle recently had no
functioning star bar and could not be used effectively.
Firefighting
vehicles on run are under-maintained or unfit for duty, of the four ladder
trucks bought at massive expense, only one was on run.
Councillor
also revealed that the working conditions for our firefighters are
unacceptable.
“The
sick leave policy leaves much to be desired, with demands for a mandatory
shifting of eight shifts before the firefighters are eligible for to work
overtime again.” Said Palm
The
party calls for a complete review of the City's fire strategy:
The
incoming model of "specialised" fire stations must be interrogated to
ensure that they are fully functional from day one.
The
arrival of seasonal wildlands firefighters after the height of fire season is a
shocking dereliction of duty.
There
should be a system of rotation of firefighters between stations Firefighter
rotations must be fair, capacity-building, and free of political favouritism.
“Those
who raise legitimate concerns must be heard, not sidelined.” Palm.
Done
By: Elona Sibunzi
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