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27 June 2025
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City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department held a successful youth month celebration event
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The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department held a successful event to celebrate Youth Month in Soshanguve on the morning of Friday, 13 June 2025, which was aimed at raising awareness about fire safety and other winter awareness educational programmes. This event, which took place at Soshanguve Crossing Shopping Mall, saw many residents and shoppers stopping at the displays, which included showcasing the various firefighting resources of the Emergency Services Department, such as the units which are briefly described below. Firefighting and related careers were also explained to those who were interested in joining the emergency services. Some educational and basic fire safety materials were shared with the public to promote safety messages.
Mobile command unit
This vehicle is used mainly when there are major incidents which are unusually prolonged or when major events occur in Tshwane. Examples of such major incidents include building fires, hazardous material incidents, specialised rescues, major training or evacuation drills or exercises and many more.
This vehicle serves as an important resource for smoothly implementing the incident management system and coordinating other resources that are required to run a successful operation. The mobile command unit also plays a major role as an on-scene emergency communication centre where all communication for an incident or event are centralised. It is usually manned by three personnel (the driver operator, the emergency communications operator and the emergency communications supervisor) who work from the operations room. The unit also has a conference room from where the incident commander and their staff run the incident. In a case where many Emergency Services departments or entities are involved, they are also be accommodated in the conference room of this mobile command unit. Sophisticated systems support this unit, which enable it to run for long periods of time.
Turntable aerial ladder
The turntable aerial ladder or simply the ladder is primarily a rescue unit, which is used for rescues at height, such as during structural fires in high-rise buildings or in hard-to-reach places such as trees or other tall objects or structures. The ladder is normally manned by five firefighters and an officer. Their functions range from responding to fire calls, where they normally perform ventilation techniques to free the involved burning building of smoke and harmful combustion products. They also perform forcible entry and search-and-rescue operations during fire incidents. The ladder or truck is a very versatile unit and has many useful functions, for example when the team uses the ladder (or portable ladders) to reach for victims of flooding rivers and bridges or channels at lower angles. The ladder also performs exterior firefighting during high-rise building fires.
Fire engine
The fire engine or fire truck is the main work horse of the Fire and Rescue Operations Division, and it serves as a first-responding unit to any structural fire or rescue incident, such as a motor vehicle accident. The fire engine normally carries five firefighters and an officer. This unit has many capabilities and is equipped with a variety of equipment which enables firefighters to attend to many incidents, such as house fires, shack fires, rubbish fires and grass fires.
Industrial pumper
The industrial pumper is a fire engine with more advanced capabilities than the normal fire engine, as it carries more firefighting foam and has a more powerful pumping output. The industrial pumper is our first line of defence when a factory or major facility is involved in a fire.
Foam tender
A foam tender, as the name implies, is a water supply unit with firefighting foam, and it plays a substantial role in supporting other firefighting units on the scene where water supply is a challenge and/or firefighting foam is required in abundance. It is also used to provide water to bush pumpers or grass fire units, especially in rural or outlying areas where there are no or few street hydrants. The foam tenders, water carriers or water tankers vary in size, as they may carry 7 000ℓ to 11 000ℓ or 14 000ℓ of water. Some water carriers can carry 30 000ℓ to 45 000ℓ of water or even more.
Rapid intervention unit
The rapid intervention unit is a specialised vehicle which is used as a roving unit for quicker response to many minor incidents in Tshwane. These units also serve as first-responding units where the two firefighters can swiftly help a victim of a motor vehicle incident while more help is on the way. This rapid intervention unit helps to reduce the impact of incidents and reduces the high cost of main fire engines turning out to attend to minor incidents.
Armoured fire engine
The armoured fire engine is also a specialized fire engine that is designed to reach those impenetrable fires such as wasteland fires or densely built areas, where it can be used to separate the combustible fuel and create a fire break. Its design assists in providing additional protection for personnel in highly hazardous incidents where a normal fire engine would otherwise be incapable of accessing the abnormal fire.
Hazardous materials unit
The hazardous materials unit was also on display at Soshanguve Crossing Mall during the Youth Month event. The hazmat unit, as it is normally referred to, is a highly specialised unit that is mainly used for handling hazardous material incidents where dangerous goods (solids, liquids, gases or mixtures of these) are involved. This unit is normally manned by five firefighters and an officer. These firefighters are preferably trained as hazmat technicians. They handle leaks or spillages in factories or transportation accidents. These incidents usually take very long to bring under control, as the hazardous materials usually involve intricate processes due to the high level of danger they pose. Large areas around the incidents which involve hazardous materials must usually be evacuated, and large populations must be accommodated in temporary shelters designated for safety until the affected area and the environment are rehabilitated and deemed safe for human habitation.
Rope rescue unit
The rope rescue unit, which is manned by two firefighters, is one of the most specialised and rare units, as it deals with rescues at high or low angles using life safety and rescue ropes and associated equipment. Firefighters who are trained and skilled in rope rescue are assigned to this unit and as serve additional firefighting personnel on normal calls. This unit mostly works hand in hand with the swift water (or aquatic) rescue unit and the diving unit.
The Emergency Services Department takes pride in these units, as they usually make a big difference when a special incident is reported to our Emergency Communications Centre.
The fire awareness and fire safety programmes that the Emergency Services Department is rolling out are some of the cornerstones of the department’s risk reduction programme and efforts. The department, through the Disaster Risk
Management Section, the Fire and Rescue Operations Division and public information, education and relations events, visits schools, community centres and other public spaces to teach children, young people and adults about fire safety measures, such as how to prevent unwanted fires, how to escape from a burning building, how to use a fire extinguisher, methods to extinguish different fires and how to avoid drowning during floods.
Friday’s event comprised live presentations, demonstrations and exhibitions. Members of the media were given opportunities to take photos and conduct live interviews. It was indeed a great day in the lives of firefighters, as they had the honour of interacting with the public, especially young people and the many children from various schools and early childhood development centres around Soshanguve and the neighbouring townships who attended the event in numbers.
The Emergency Services Department will continue to raise awareness of public safety, in particular fire safety, this winter and beyond, as we aim to protect life and preserve properties within our city. We are thankful for the partnerships from the private sector whose representatives also emphasise safety during this Youth Month and the winter season awareness campaigns.
Source: Lindsay Zwelithini Mnguni, acting public information and media liaison officer, City of Tshwane Emergency Services
Mobile command unit
This vehicle is used mainly when there are major incidents which are unusually prolonged or when major events occur in Tshwane. Examples of such major incidents include building fires, hazardous material incidents, specialised rescues, major training or evacuation drills or exercises and many more.
This vehicle serves as an important resource for smoothly implementing the incident management system and coordinating other resources that are required to run a successful operation. The mobile command unit also plays a major role as an on-scene emergency communication centre where all communication for an incident or event are centralised. It is usually manned by three personnel (the driver operator, the emergency communications operator and the emergency communications supervisor) who work from the operations room. The unit also has a conference room from where the incident commander and their staff run the incident. In a case where many Emergency Services departments or entities are involved, they are also be accommodated in the conference room of this mobile command unit. Sophisticated systems support this unit, which enable it to run for long periods of time.
Turntable aerial ladder
The turntable aerial ladder or simply the ladder is primarily a rescue unit, which is used for rescues at height, such as during structural fires in high-rise buildings or in hard-to-reach places such as trees or other tall objects or structures. The ladder is normally manned by five firefighters and an officer. Their functions range from responding to fire calls, where they normally perform ventilation techniques to free the involved burning building of smoke and harmful combustion products. They also perform forcible entry and search-and-rescue operations during fire incidents. The ladder or truck is a very versatile unit and has many useful functions, for example when the team uses the ladder (or portable ladders) to reach for victims of flooding rivers and bridges or channels at lower angles. The ladder also performs exterior firefighting during high-rise building fires.
Fire engine
The fire engine or fire truck is the main work horse of the Fire and Rescue Operations Division, and it serves as a first-responding unit to any structural fire or rescue incident, such as a motor vehicle accident. The fire engine normally carries five firefighters and an officer. This unit has many capabilities and is equipped with a variety of equipment which enables firefighters to attend to many incidents, such as house fires, shack fires, rubbish fires and grass fires.
Industrial pumper
The industrial pumper is a fire engine with more advanced capabilities than the normal fire engine, as it carries more firefighting foam and has a more powerful pumping output. The industrial pumper is our first line of defence when a factory or major facility is involved in a fire.
Foam tender
A foam tender, as the name implies, is a water supply unit with firefighting foam, and it plays a substantial role in supporting other firefighting units on the scene where water supply is a challenge and/or firefighting foam is required in abundance. It is also used to provide water to bush pumpers or grass fire units, especially in rural or outlying areas where there are no or few street hydrants. The foam tenders, water carriers or water tankers vary in size, as they may carry 7 000ℓ to 11 000ℓ or 14 000ℓ of water. Some water carriers can carry 30 000ℓ to 45 000ℓ of water or even more.
Rapid intervention unit
The rapid intervention unit is a specialised vehicle which is used as a roving unit for quicker response to many minor incidents in Tshwane. These units also serve as first-responding units where the two firefighters can swiftly help a victim of a motor vehicle incident while more help is on the way. This rapid intervention unit helps to reduce the impact of incidents and reduces the high cost of main fire engines turning out to attend to minor incidents.
Armoured fire engine
The armoured fire engine is also a specialized fire engine that is designed to reach those impenetrable fires such as wasteland fires or densely built areas, where it can be used to separate the combustible fuel and create a fire break. Its design assists in providing additional protection for personnel in highly hazardous incidents where a normal fire engine would otherwise be incapable of accessing the abnormal fire.
Hazardous materials unit
The hazardous materials unit was also on display at Soshanguve Crossing Mall during the Youth Month event. The hazmat unit, as it is normally referred to, is a highly specialised unit that is mainly used for handling hazardous material incidents where dangerous goods (solids, liquids, gases or mixtures of these) are involved. This unit is normally manned by five firefighters and an officer. These firefighters are preferably trained as hazmat technicians. They handle leaks or spillages in factories or transportation accidents. These incidents usually take very long to bring under control, as the hazardous materials usually involve intricate processes due to the high level of danger they pose. Large areas around the incidents which involve hazardous materials must usually be evacuated, and large populations must be accommodated in temporary shelters designated for safety until the affected area and the environment are rehabilitated and deemed safe for human habitation.
Rope rescue unit
The rope rescue unit, which is manned by two firefighters, is one of the most specialised and rare units, as it deals with rescues at high or low angles using life safety and rescue ropes and associated equipment. Firefighters who are trained and skilled in rope rescue are assigned to this unit and as serve additional firefighting personnel on normal calls. This unit mostly works hand in hand with the swift water (or aquatic) rescue unit and the diving unit.
The Emergency Services Department takes pride in these units, as they usually make a big difference when a special incident is reported to our Emergency Communications Centre.
The fire awareness and fire safety programmes that the Emergency Services Department is rolling out are some of the cornerstones of the department’s risk reduction programme and efforts. The department, through the Disaster Risk
Management Section, the Fire and Rescue Operations Division and public information, education and relations events, visits schools, community centres and other public spaces to teach children, young people and adults about fire safety measures, such as how to prevent unwanted fires, how to escape from a burning building, how to use a fire extinguisher, methods to extinguish different fires and how to avoid drowning during floods.
Friday’s event comprised live presentations, demonstrations and exhibitions. Members of the media were given opportunities to take photos and conduct live interviews. It was indeed a great day in the lives of firefighters, as they had the honour of interacting with the public, especially young people and the many children from various schools and early childhood development centres around Soshanguve and the neighbouring townships who attended the event in numbers.
The Emergency Services Department will continue to raise awareness of public safety, in particular fire safety, this winter and beyond, as we aim to protect life and preserve properties within our city. We are thankful for the partnerships from the private sector whose representatives also emphasise safety during this Youth Month and the winter season awareness campaigns.
Source: Lindsay Zwelithini Mnguni, acting public information and media liaison officer, City of Tshwane Emergency Services
