Operations

Operations
Firefighting is one of the fire fighters/emergency medical technicians' key functions. It is a technical skill and can be a very dangerous activity. Old and unstable buildings, new and hastily built constructions and synthetic materials and chemicals all pose dangers to the firefighter. This division has a large range of specialised vehicles and equipment to ensure rapid response to emergencies to provide an efficient firefighting service. Rescue This function is usually performed by the same fire fighters/emergency medical technicians responsible for firefighting. They respond in fire engines or rescue vehicles specially equipped to deal with most forms of technical rescues, such as rescues from cars and trucks after accidents, hazardous materials incidents, trench collapses, building collapses, confined space rescues, high angle rescues, swift water rescues and emergency scuba diving. Other special services include lift rescues and getting people and animals out of life-threatening situations. Command and control centre The Control Centre is the EMS’s nerve centre. It is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached on 011 375 5911. The Control Centre takes calls related to all emergencies for which the City renders a service. These include medical emergencies, fires, disasters and hazardous materials spills. Calls are categorised and dispatched to the relevant departments as follows: • P1 – critical medical cases (life threatening); • P2 – medical condition serious but stable; • P3 – any medical condition that is not life-threatening, support may be given over the phone; and • P4 – dead person before the arrival of emergency services or on route to medical care facility. Operations directorate (reactive incident management) Operations is one of the core departments in the EMS. It deals with the saving of lives and property once disasters or accidents have happened. Some of the critical components in this directorate are emergency medical services (ambulances and paramedics), firefighting and rescue programmes. All employees are trained in medical and fire services.

Firefighting is one of the fire fighters/emergency medical technicians' key functions. It is a technical skill and can be a very dangerous activity. Old and unstable buildings, new and hastily built constructions and synthetic materials and chemicals all pose dangers to the firefighter.

This division has a large range of specialised vehicles and equipment to ensure rapid response to emergencies to provide an efficient firefighting service.

Rescue

This function is usually performed by the same fire fighters/emergency medical technicians responsible for firefighting.

They respond in fire engines or rescue vehicles specially equipped to deal with most forms of technical rescues, such as rescues from cars and trucks after accidents, hazardous materials incidents, trench collapses, building collapses, confined space rescues, high angle rescues, swift water rescues and emergency scuba diving. Other special services include lift rescues and getting people and animals out of life-threatening situations.

Command and control centre

The Control Centre is the EMS’s nerve centre. It is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached on 011 375 5911. The Control Centre takes calls related to all emergencies for which the City renders a service. These include medical emergencies, fires, disasters and hazardous materials spills.

Calls are categorised and dispatched to the relevant departments as follows:

• P1 – critical medical cases (life threatening);

• P2 – medical condition serious but stable;

• P3 – any medical condition that is not life-threatening, support may be given over the phone; and

• P4 – dead person before the arrival of emergency services or on route to medical care facility.

Operations directorate (reactive incident management)

Operations is one of the core departments in the EMS. It deals with the saving of lives and property once disasters or accidents have happened. Some of the critical components in this directorate are emergency medical services (ambulances and paramedics), firefighting and rescue programmes.

All employees are trained in medical and fire services.