Cutting-edge training for Ekurhuleni rescuers
With the newly acquired skills, the members have been sent to deliver services in their respective fire stations within the three Ekurhuleni Emergency Services districts called North District, South District and East District.
The Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) now boasts the country’s first team of rescuers who have completed the technical rescue course accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC).
This is according to the Ekurhuleni metro.
To become professional rescuers and be prepared for any type of disaster scenarios, the group of 25 personnel from across the three Ekurhuleni emergency services regions, consisting of different fire stations, spent the most part of 2018 training hard to handle disasters and accidents.
The team of experienced firefighters underwent the technical rescue training course, accredited by IFSAC through the Southern African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI), at Leon Ferreira Fire Station and Training Centre in Boksburg. They are now prepared to respond to disasters locally and internationally.
According to the district’s training managers, who also run the course on behalf of the metro, Theresa Geldenhuys and Gerald Moswathupha, the graduates are now equipped for any technical rescue situation.
They are expected to provide a much-needed boost to the department’s rescue unit meant to serve lives and property.
The trainers pointed out that, previously, in the whole country, emergency services would run their own courses and qualify people for what they needed without accreditation for such courses.
“Things have, however, recently changed in Ekurhuleni as we now have an accreditation technical rescue course to offer our rescuers – who are also qualified firefighters armed with years of experience in firefighting.
“Our first international accredited training started to run in 2018, and in the country, we are the first training centre to produce a team of rescuers who completed the full technical rescue IFSAC accredited programme, which is an internationally recognised qualification.
“Ekurhuleni is also the only SAESI accredited training provider for the full accredited course in the country,” said Moswathupha.
The course consists of 17 modules: technical rescue module (an intro to rescue course), rope rescue one and two, confine space rescue one and two, structural collapse one and two, trench rescue one and two, swift water rescue one and two, wilderness rescue one and two, vehicle rescue one and two, and machinery rescue one and two.
The trainers, however, indicated that four of the trainees could not make it in the swift water rescue module, which is one of the components of the course.
The instructors revealed Ekurhuleni used to have a limited amount of technical rescue technicians to handle rescue situations in the different districts, so this new strong team will help address such challenges and minimise the response time of emergency rescue services.
“This training is for the benefit of both personnel and the community, as members will now on their day-to-day rescue operations use the newly acquired skills to rescue lives and property in most efficient and effective ways,” said Geldenhuys.
The instructors stated the metro plans to train a minimum of 24 rescuers per year for the next couple of years, adding the class of 2019 has already started.
The metro is also running a new swimming programme aimed at teaching all emergency personnel how to swim. This is done to complement the ongoing technical rescue course.
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