EMS introduces measures to boost members' safety

16 May 2016

 

The City of Johannesburg's Emergency Management Services (EMS) is retraining all its 1 200 firefighters across the city to ensure that the incident that led to the tragic deaths of two of their colleagues in the city centre in 2015 does not happen again.

 

Announcing the findings and recommendations of three external and internal investigations into the incident that claimed the lives of officers Daniel Zwane and Michael Letsosa yesterday, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Councillor Sello Lemao said the best way in which EMS could honour the spirits of the two fallen firefighters was by "continuously upholding safety standards".

The retraining - which covers all 28 fire stations in six districts - includes incident management, radio control and the proper use of protective gear. Zwane and Letsosa died after being trapped in the basement of a burning building in Albertina Sisulu Street in the Johannesburg CBD on 16 May 2015.

Speaking during a media briefing at the EMS’s headquarters in Martindale, MMC Lemao said the incident was unprecedented.

"It had never happened since the inception of the EMS. It’s a first of its kind,” he said.

All the three investigations found that there was a lack of communication at the scene. Insubordination, failure to follow standard operating protocols and the lack of a command system contributed to the incident, the investigations found.

“As the City of Johannesburg, we would like to, once again, convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of firefighters Letsosa and Zwane and the broader EMS family,” said MMC Lemao, who was flanked by Head of Department Hlula Msimang and EMS Chief Tshepo Makola.

MMC Lemao said allegations of a lack of equipment could not be verified and there was no evidence to substantiate the claims. He said internal disciplinary procedures were under way to find out who was to blame for the failure to ensure that standard operating protocols were followed and why a safety and command officer was not appointed at the scene.

Makola said failure to follow one element of the standard operating protocols had a ripple effect.

“We have learnt from the incident and have already established corrective action. Occupational health and safety standards have also been reviewed to ensure the safety of our staff,” he said.