November 14, 2006
By Tammy O'Reilly
THE selfless men and women of the City's Emergency Management Services (EMS) were honoured at an awards ceremony on Friday, 10 November at the Nasrec Exhibition Centre.
These unsung heroes - the lifesavers at the scenes of human tragedies that range from accidents to natural disasters, as well as employees who create and implement innovative programmes to educate the community about fire and emergency safety - were acknowledged at the ceremony.
Present at the function were Executive Mayor Amos Masondo; city manager Mavela Dlamini; members of the mayoral committee, among them Thomas Phakathi for public safety; and senior management, staff and families of the EMS.
The Soweto Marimba Kidz entertain the guests
The past year has been a successful one for the unit as there has been a noticeable reduction in fires. This has been attributed to the implementation of community volunteer and education programmes, skilled staff and management and the acquisition of new vehicles and advanced equipment.
Also, for the first time in the history of the EMS, not a single fire fighter or rescue worker died in the line of duty, proof that teamwork and new safety measures adopted by the unit at the scene of emergencies are effective.
In his address, Masondo said the City valued the dedication of the EMS staff and acknowledged that equipment alone did not make the staff efficient.
"Critical to the success of the EMS is skillful, dedicated and committed emergency and rescue personnel - men and women who, when duty calls, will spare neither strength nor courage to save lives. And we have them here in the emergency services of the City of Johannesburg."
The unit is also a major contributor to the City's urban regeneration programme, with projects like last year's Vukuzenzele Bucket Brigade. That programme, which teaches communities, particularly those in informal settlements, how to respond to fires, won the Project of the Year award.
This year that award went to Operation Uzungashi, literally meaning, "Do not get burnt". Under its auspices, EMS personnel inspect various buildings and businesses in the inner city to check that they are complying with fire safety and disaster regulations.
The award for Best Innovation went to Nomsa Dondolo for her corporate wear for employees who do not work in the field. Her range includes jump suits, golf shirts, formal clothes, casual wear and sportswear for EMS teams playing soccer, netball and volleyball.
Best Fire Station of the Year went to Malvern Fire Station for its effective communication, implementation of infection control, leave management, response time to fires and record keeping.
District Five, which covers the southern part of Johannesburg, including Soweto, won Best Managed District. This area was judged on the problem-solving abilities of its stations and their handling of finances and human resources.
The Employee of the Year is public safety officer Shaun Harrison.
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