On 1 June 2018, 91 brave young men and women embarked on their careers as firefighters in the City of Johannesburg.
The newly qualified firefighters were trained at the City’s Emergency Management Services Academy and are to be deployed across all seven regions in the City. Public Safety MMC Michael Sun officially welcomed the new firefighters to the service during their morning parade.
The 79 men and 12 women firefighters have gone through intensive training and a 3 months in-depth induction programme to acquaint themselves with relevant City policies and by-laws.
MMC Sun addressed the new firefighters and said: “Today, we formally address you as Firefighters, a title that is reserved only for the brave men and women that are passionate and dedicated to this calling. Today is the first day of many challenges and risks you will face through your careers as the firefighters and protectors of the residents of Johannesburg. Always remember your calling and your training, serve and protect your residents with pride, take care of each other and never let anything break the bond between your brother and sister firefighters. As the winter season approaches, we expect more fire incidences and you will face that call with professionalism and expediency.”
The 91 new firefighters enter the service at a time when the City is heading towards a very cold winter season which is also prone to a higher number of fires and other related incidences. This is indeed a much needed boost for the City’s EMS.
In his closing remarks, MMC Sun thanked the educators, management of the EMS Academy and the newly appointed firefighters for their tireless effort in serving the City and again reminded the new firefighters that safety of the residents including their own is the number one priority.
The formal pass out parade for the 91 firefighters will be held in the coming months.