Joburg's emergency workers are getting ready to extinguish fires and rescue people from hazardous situations over the Easter weekend

RELATED LINKS: Prepare now for cold months ahead THE Emergency Management Services has taken note of the cooler mornings and the upcoming holidays and is warning Joburgers about safety hazards. Read more Pool nets may become law WITH the high number of drownings this summer, the City's Emergency Management Services is looking at changing the by-laws regarding putting nets over pools. Read more Girl children learn to fight fire A GROUP of schoolgirls from around Johannesburg were taken on a tour of the city's Emergency Management Services as part of the Take a Girl Child to Work campaign, learning how the men and women of the department fight fires and save lives every day. Read more Keep safe over the holidays and through winter THE Emergency Management Services unit has advice for Joburgers planning to leave the city for the Easter holidays. It also has a few tips on keeping safe through the cold winter months. Read more City launches winter safety campaign THE City's Emergency Management Services has launched a three-month campaign to teach residents of informal settlements about the dangers of fire. Read more

Joburg's EMS staff will be out in force, saving lives and spreading a message of goodwill this Easter

EMS aims to keep Joburgers safe While most people are enjoying the Easter break, the dedicated men and women of the Emergency Management Services are hard at work keeping us safe. But we can help by taking note of a few safety precautions. April 3, 2007 By Millicent Kgowedi EASTER weekend traditionally draws the faithful northwards to Moria and the sunseekers southwards to the coast. And the City's Emergency Management Services (EMS) is put on high alert, to respond quickly to car accidents and other holiday disasters. "We have to be on high alert, especially in terms of car accidents in the northern parts of the country, where more than 200 buses transport people to Moria for the Easter holiday," explains Malcolm Midgley, the EMS spokesman. The directorate's campaign over Easter weekend this year focuses on motor vehicle and pedestrian safety, as well as on fire safety, disaster mitigation and home safety. Some of the common risks it has identified at this time of year are drinking and driving, pedestrian accidents, assaults, car accidents, the onset of the grass fire season, informal settlement fires and winter fire hazards like electric blankets, heaters and discarded cigarette butts. The EMS will deploy all its resources to save those involved in serious life threatening situations In the past, fatalities have resulted from fires in buildings and shacks, drownings, open manholes and illegal electricity connections. "Posters and public interaction to promote safety will be in position at places such as the Rand Show and around the CBD," Midgley says. The campaign began before schools closed for the holidays and will run until the end of April. "[It] targets school children because most of the reported accidents happen during the holidays, when parents are at work and there is no-one monitoring the children." A key concern for the EMS is pool safety, and it strongly recommends that pools be covered with nets and fenced. It also believes children should not be allowed to swim unsupervised. Smoke detectors should be installed in homes so that fires can be detected and contained quickly. Most household fires start in the kitchen. Equally, illegal paraffin stoves - stoves that are illegal in terms of fire safety precautions - should not be used in homes. Regarding motor vehicle safety, the EMS urges motorists to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy; they must follow speed regulations at all times and avoid drinking and driving. When driving long distances, they should make regular stops. People are advised to report any disasters in their homes or neighbourhoods to the authorities so that measures can be put into place to minimise further damages. The national emergency toll free number is 10177. The City's emergency number for accidents, fires, ambulances and crime, is 011 375 5911. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za