The lives and safety of Gauteng residents and their belongings, particularly their properties, are in danger due to a severe shortage of fire trucks across all municipalities. Gauteng Disaster Management Centre confirmed that the province has 92 fire trucks and only 57 can be used. Furthermore, Gauteng municipalities are facing a critical crisis of non-functional fire engines and a lack of firefighting equipment.
Johannesburg, which has the highest number of deadly fire incidents in the province is operating with half of the number of functional fire engines it needs, leaving residents vulnerable to disasters.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to take immediate action to address the province’s shortage of fire trucks and equipment.
It is concerning that five years later, the state-of-the-art Gauteng Command Centre is still incomplete. This much-needed facility will be used as an early detection tool for disaster management, traffic management, and public unrest. In comparison, the Western Cape established their intergovernmental traffic and safety command centre in 2008, a positive intervention to assist in identifying and monitoring situations. Gauteng Community Safety should replicate the Western Cape in having a command centre contracted on a successful model following new technologies.
The DA Gauteng proposes that the Gauteng Provincial Government consider implementing the following actions:
- Conduct an urgent audit of municipal firefighting capabilities to identify gaps in equipment, personnel, and infrastructure.
- Collaborate with national authorities to eliminate bureaucratic delays in fire engine procurement.
- Establish strategic partnerships with private firefighting companies to amplify capacity.
- Invest in innovative firefighting technologies, firefighting drones equipped with thermal imaging to locate hotspots and deliver suppressants in high-rise blazes.
- Upgrade training academies to include simulations for high-rise rescues and drone operations, ensuring personnel are prepared for modern challenges.
Gauteng residents’ safety is of utmost importance, the DA will continue to push for all our municipalities to be adequately equipped with fire trucks and equipment and the establishment of a command centre for early detection of any fires or incidents that require the services of disaster management.