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1 December 2023
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The Toughest Firefighter Alive 2023 official opening
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At the opening of the Toughest Firefighter Alive 2023 at De Bakke Beach in Mossel Bay, a number of dignitaries joined the TFA participants and their fire chiefs with Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Dirk Kotze, TFA’s Ryan Abrahams and Mark Smith, Mossel Bay CFO Joseph Johnston sharing some motivation with MMC: Councillor Leon van Dyk finishing off the opening with a vote of thanks. Mossel Bay’s Johann Makwak was the programme director during the event.
Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Dirk Kotze said at the opening, “On Tuesday afternoon, Ferd Roelfse and Shawn- Ray Michaels from our Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue services team showed that firefighters are always ready to deliver service excellence! The two heroes helped a local family in Mossel Bay give their visitor who had been catching a tan in their yard, to his next appointment. The visitor, a well-known local of Mossel Bay was a puffadder, who was running low on Vitamin D and needed some extra time in the Mossel Bay sun to catch up. Roelfse and Michaels answered the family in Mossel Bay’s call. The two firefighters promptly and politely ensured the snake was moved to a location safe for the family and itself.”
He continued, “Firefighters are heroes because they do what needs to be done. Their job title says “Fire Fighter” but their day in the office contains as much peace-making as it does fighting, as many gentle words, as violent kicking down of doors. Firefighters do what needs to be done. Like Roelfse and Michaels answered the call to deal with a puffadder, other firefighters day in and day out, across the country answer the calls of those in need.”
“No matter how big or small that need may seem. Firefighters answer that call. They show up.”
Mayor Kotze added, “I briefly want to touch on grit. When we demonstrate grit or are described as gritty, it is because we have had the resilience to push ourselves over, though, around and sometimes under obstacles. Carol Dweck, author of the books Grit and Mindset says gritty people embrace challenges, they persist in the face of setbacks, they see effort as the path to mastery, they learn from criticism, and they find lessons and inspiration in the success of others. She concludes that it is not enough to shift our mind set. We also need a healthy dose of grit and resilience to achieve short- and long-term goals.”
“With this, we welcome the Toughest Firefighter Alive SA event and look forward to the opportunity to present it not only, for the second time this year but again in 2024 and hopefully beyond”, concluded Mayor Kotze.
Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Service CFO Joseph Johnston
Mossel Bay’s fire chief, CFO Joseph Johnston, shared some inspiration, saying, “A good firefighter knows how, an educated firefighter knows why. In the fire service knowledge, skill and experience attribute to great successes when dealing with emergency incidents. Firefighter safety is one of the most important aspects to be considered during emergency scene operations and is the responsibility of every individual, including the incident commander to ensure that it is implemented before response to emergency incidents has commenced. Fire station level training is of utmost importance these days which enables you to be prepared at all times, as well as sharing and gaining knowledge from fellow firefighters. Continuous training at fire station level ensures that firefighters are geared to face any challenge that they may face during the call of duty.”
He added, “Don’t train till you get it right, train till you can’t get it wrong! Repetition and training scenarios safeguard against major loss of life, property and the environment that may occur due to fire incidents. Professionalism calls for a high standard of knowledge, skill and fitness to be able to work in the environment that is not conducive to normal human life. Knowing, quantifying and understanding numerous operational scenarios enable firefighters to render a professional service when called upon.”
“The future belongs to those who are prepared for the worst scenario that might be encountered in your career”, said CFO Johnston.
CFO Joseph Johnston concluded saying, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”, quoting Sir Winston Churchill.
Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Dirk Kotze said at the opening, “On Tuesday afternoon, Ferd Roelfse and Shawn- Ray Michaels from our Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue services team showed that firefighters are always ready to deliver service excellence! The two heroes helped a local family in Mossel Bay give their visitor who had been catching a tan in their yard, to his next appointment. The visitor, a well-known local of Mossel Bay was a puffadder, who was running low on Vitamin D and needed some extra time in the Mossel Bay sun to catch up. Roelfse and Michaels answered the family in Mossel Bay’s call. The two firefighters promptly and politely ensured the snake was moved to a location safe for the family and itself.”
He continued, “Firefighters are heroes because they do what needs to be done. Their job title says “Fire Fighter” but their day in the office contains as much peace-making as it does fighting, as many gentle words, as violent kicking down of doors. Firefighters do what needs to be done. Like Roelfse and Michaels answered the call to deal with a puffadder, other firefighters day in and day out, across the country answer the calls of those in need.”
“No matter how big or small that need may seem. Firefighters answer that call. They show up.”
Mayor Kotze added, “I briefly want to touch on grit. When we demonstrate grit or are described as gritty, it is because we have had the resilience to push ourselves over, though, around and sometimes under obstacles. Carol Dweck, author of the books Grit and Mindset says gritty people embrace challenges, they persist in the face of setbacks, they see effort as the path to mastery, they learn from criticism, and they find lessons and inspiration in the success of others. She concludes that it is not enough to shift our mind set. We also need a healthy dose of grit and resilience to achieve short- and long-term goals.”
“With this, we welcome the Toughest Firefighter Alive SA event and look forward to the opportunity to present it not only, for the second time this year but again in 2024 and hopefully beyond”, concluded Mayor Kotze.
Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Service CFO Joseph Johnston
Mossel Bay’s fire chief, CFO Joseph Johnston, shared some inspiration, saying, “A good firefighter knows how, an educated firefighter knows why. In the fire service knowledge, skill and experience attribute to great successes when dealing with emergency incidents. Firefighter safety is one of the most important aspects to be considered during emergency scene operations and is the responsibility of every individual, including the incident commander to ensure that it is implemented before response to emergency incidents has commenced. Fire station level training is of utmost importance these days which enables you to be prepared at all times, as well as sharing and gaining knowledge from fellow firefighters. Continuous training at fire station level ensures that firefighters are geared to face any challenge that they may face during the call of duty.”
He added, “Don’t train till you get it right, train till you can’t get it wrong! Repetition and training scenarios safeguard against major loss of life, property and the environment that may occur due to fire incidents. Professionalism calls for a high standard of knowledge, skill and fitness to be able to work in the environment that is not conducive to normal human life. Knowing, quantifying and understanding numerous operational scenarios enable firefighters to render a professional service when called upon.”
“The future belongs to those who are prepared for the worst scenario that might be encountered in your career”, said CFO Johnston.
CFO Joseph Johnston concluded saying, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”, quoting Sir Winston Churchill.