The Sol Plaatje Emergency Services is responsible to render a fire fighting, rescue, and disaster management function in the community. The service currently functions from three Fire Stations, being the Main Station in Kimberley and the Satellite Fire Station in Ritchie and Galeshewe. These personnel are responsible to render the active fire fighting, emergency medical and rescue activities at all the emergency incidents.

This section is responsible to ensure that all new developments comply with all relevant fire safety legislation. The basis to ensure fire safety in any building is summarized in the following six points, namely:

• The protection of occupants or users therein is ensured and that provision is made for the safe evacuation of such occupants or users;

• The spread and intensity of such fire within such building and the spread of fire to any other building will be minimized;

• Sufficient stability will be retained to ensure that such building will not endanger any other building:  Provided that in the case of any multi-storey building no major failure of the structural system shall occur;

• The generation and spread of smoke will be minimized or controlled to the greatest extent reasonably practicable;

• Adequate means of access and equipment for detecting, fighting, controlling and extinguishing such fire, is provided and to ensure that the use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials are in accordance with legislation.

This section is responsible to train all personnel and they also conduct training classes to other organizations and Emergency Services.
The Sol Plaatje Emergency Services is currently being accredited through the following bodies:

• Southern African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI) and the

      International Fire Services Accreditation Council (IFSAC):
                       

• Fire Fighter I
• Fire Fighter II
• Hazmat Awareness
• Hazmat Operations
• Fire Services Instructor I
• Fire Officer I

• Health Professions Council of SA:

 

• Basic Ambulance Assistant

• Department of Labour:

 

• Level III First Aid
• Class IV Rescue Diving

           

• Other training courses conducted:

• Basic Medical Rescue
• Several “in-house” fire training courses, like fire pump operator, elementary fire fighting to businesses, etc.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

 

DIRECT CONTACTS

R Janse van Vuuren
Asst. Chief Emergency Services
Sol Plaatje Emergency Services
PO Box 1532
Kimberley, 8300
RSA
Tell - 053 830 6277/8
Fax - 086 692 7367
Cell - 082 415 5817
EMAIL - rjvvuuren@solplaatje.org.za