The City of Johannesburg would be very little without its Emergency management Services (EMS).
These are firefighters and paramedics who work hard and put their own lives on the line to ensure the safety of our residents. In turn, the onus is on us to see to it that EMS personnel are protected while on the job.
For these reasons, on 15 November 2018, following an inspection by the Department of Labour, the City took the difficult decision of closing down the inner city’s historical Central Fire Station. This was done in the interest of the safety of the firefighters and staff members operating from the station.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety, Michael Sun, assures residents that this will not affect service delivery and that their safety will not be compromised. Personnel have been redeployed to the nearby Fairview Fire Station, which is still in District 3.
“Employee safety and wellbeing are always very important to us, we will not compromise the safety of our residents and employees. Although it’s sad to see the closing of the Central Fire Station, we have plans to revamp it into a Firemen Museum as it is rich with history and we should to use it to commemorate the brave firefighters whom have served
the City of Johannesburg,” MMC Sun said.
Central Fire Station was built in 1906 and is therefore an important heritage site. But it is unfortunately becoming difficult to maintain as an operating fire station that can be used to adequately help service the need in the inner city of Johannesburg.
Prior to the closing of this fire station, the Department of Public Safety has already embarked on the building of a new central fire station still within the inner city with the design plan approved and geo-technical study completed. Due to its proximity to an old mine shaft, the department now awaits comment and approval by the national Department of Mineral Resources.
The site for the new station is ideal because of its size and because of how close it is to various major road links. The Department of Public Safety is planning to break ground on the new station before June 2019.
“Again, we want to assure our residents, especially in the inner city, that the closing of the Central Fire Station will not affect the level of service as District 3 remains fully operational and is ready to respond to any emergency calls,” MMC Sun said.
For media queries:
Luyanda Longwe
Stakeholder Manager: MMC for Public Safety
061 496 0536
luyandalo@joburg.org.za
