The City of Cape Town welcomed six new fire trucks to their fleet in an unveiling done on 30 May at Goodwood fire station.
According to Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the fire service, the City of Cape Town is one of the leading metros in the country and the first recipients of these types of fire engines in Southern Africa.
“The very spacious cab section gives you a 270-degree view of your surroundings and the deck monitor frees up a firefighter, as it can be automatically controlled from in or outside the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle will have the area illuminated, especially during the evenings or early mornings, by means of a light mast and the LED lights around the appliance,” he says.
Carelse said the new acquisitions will not only bolster the current fleet, but with the latest firefighting technology it uses less water thanks to a compressed air foam system.
The new fire engines will be stationed at Bellville, Goodwood, Belhar, Epping, Brooklyn and Mitchells Plain fire stations.
Alderman JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security, says it is an incredibly proud moment for their fire service department. The vehicles were assembled in Blackheath, so there is a local manufacturing component and job creation right here in Cape Town, for Cape Town, he says.
Smith hopes residents will also share this sense of pride. Furthermore, it speaks to the City’s continued commitment to invest in the best resources for the benefit of all its residents.
“The City of Cape Town has, since 2006, invested continuously in our safety and security directorate, and in particular our fire service. Today we have 32 well-functioning fire stations, having opened the Kommetjie Road and Sir Lowry’s Pass fire stations in the last year and a half. In addition, we now have nearly 200 ground and aerial appliances for firefighting and rescue purposes, and we will continue this investment as far as our budget allows to match the growing needs of our city.
“Our city is constantly growing and evolving, and as a responsible and caring local government, we have a duty to ensure the safety of our residents by constantly evaluating our level of preparedness. These new acquisitions are testament to that duty and commitment to public safety by investing in training, resources, and technology. The bigger your fleet, the nimbler your response when it really counts. But also, the incremental improvements that these new vehicles bring, could shave crucial minutes off active firefighting efforts, which means less damage to property, and more importantly, lives saved,” Smith said.
Manufacturing of the six vehicles took about two years. Louis Louw from the manufacturer Marce Fire Fighting Technology said manufacturing was particularly challenging as certain parts of the project happened during the strict lockdown regulations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He adds that the new Marce CAFS pumper on these vehicles are unique as it was specifically designed for firefighting applications. The final design became reality when a prototype was manufactured in Italy where-after it was crash tested in Germany.
The spacious crew cab provides comfortable seating for six crew members including gear and each seating position except the drivers is equipped with a breathing apparatus. The unique cab design enhances safety, and the larger windows allow for excellent visibility.
The superstructure with six spacious lockers with adjustable shelving and drop-down steps can be easily reached allowing the fire fighters quick access to their equipment. The valuable equipment is safely secured inside the compartments with its durable aluminium roller shutter doors each fitted with central locking controlled from within the vehicle cab.
The vehicles cost R6,5 million each.
