Overview

Overview
The Emergency Management Services (EMS) Directorates: Operations is the frontline of the City's Emergency Management Services. Operating 24/7, it responds to fires, rescues, water incidents, and hazardous materials disasters. Our personnel, known as Firefighters/EMTs (FF/EMTs) - are dual-trained to fight fires and provide life-saving medical care and rescue services. Specialised teams also manage hazardous materials incidents throughout the City. Operations also manages the EMS Control Centre, which receives emergency calls and dispatches fire and rescue teams to incidents across Johannesburg. ProActive Services & PIER serves as the prevention, education, and compliance arm of EMS. It is responsible for enforcing fire safety codes, managing event safety, and applying regulations to ensure compliance. Through risk reduction initiatives, public education, and rigorous safety standards for buildings, the Directorate works to prevent emergencies before they occur and create safer communities. Corporate Services and Academy supports the EMS with a wide range of services, including training, fleet management, administrative services and metropolitan emergency support services (MESS) that provide rehabilitation services for first responders. Some of its key programmes are the chaplaincy service and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP). Strategic Support drives the department's communications, marketing, quality assurance, research, transformation, and employment equity initiatives. It oversees all strategic and business planning processes, including sector plans and performance scorecards. The directorate also leads organisational research, process optimisation, capacity building, performance management, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure continuous improvement across EMS There are a number of laws and policies that govern the core functions of the EMS: the Fire Brigade Act; the Disaster Management Act, the Municipal Systems Act, the Health Services Act, the Road Traffic Act, the Veld and Forest Fire Act and the Communication Act.

The Emergency Management Services (EMS) Directorates:

Operations is the frontline of the City's Emergency Management Services. Operating 24/7, it responds to fires, rescues, water incidents, and hazardous materials disasters. Our personnel, known as Firefighters/EMTs (FF/EMTs) - are dual-trained to fight fires and provide life-saving medical care and rescue services. Specialised teams also manage hazardous materials incidents throughout the City. Operations also manages the EMS Control Centre, which receives emergency calls and dispatches fire and rescue teams to incidents across Johannesburg.

ProActive Services & PIER serves as the prevention, education, and compliance arm of EMS. It is responsible for enforcing fire safety codes, managing event safety, and applying regulations to ensure compliance. Through risk reduction initiatives, public education, and rigorous safety standards for buildings, the Directorate works to prevent emergencies before they occur and create safer communities.

Corporate Services and Academy supports the EMS with a wide range of services, including training, fleet management, administrative services and metropolitan emergency support services (MESS) that provide rehabilitation services for first responders. Some of its key programmes are the chaplaincy service and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP).

Strategic Support drives the department's communications, marketing, quality assurance, research, transformation, and employment equity initiatives. It oversees all strategic and business planning processes, including sector plans and performance scorecards. The directorate also leads organisational research, process optimisation, capacity building, performance management, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure continuous improvement across EMS

There are a number of laws and policies that govern the core functions of the EMS: the Fire Brigade Act; the Disaster Management Act, the Municipal Systems Act, the Health Services Act, the Road Traffic Act, the Veld and Forest Fire Act and the Communication Act.