A firefighter who delivered a baby and others who saved a disabled Seawinds man from death were among those honoured at a City awards ceremony last week.
Some 18 City Fire and Rescue Service staff were awarded for personal achievements, work conduct, leadership and more during the ceremony held at the Roeland Street fire station.
The Lakeside 3 platoon received an award for leadership and initiative after they not only saved a disabled man from a fire but returned to rebuild a cupboard and replace a damaged bedside table.
In late February, the platoon was dispatched to a vegetation fire in Seawinds, where, says JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, one of them noticed a shack catching fire.
As smoke billowed from the shack, the platoon quickly deployed a line of hose, broke down the door and found a disabled man asleep in bed.
“At that point, the bedside table and bedding had ignited and the crew evacuated and treated the man, before they extinguished the fire with minimal damage caused,” said Mr Smith.
“If it wasn’t for the situational awareness and swift action by the crew, the occupant would have succumbed to the fire and the structure would have been destroyed.”
The firefighters then had a new cupboard built to replace the man’s damaged bedside table.
It was just one of the many acts of bravery that were all in a day’s work for the men and women in uniform, said Mr Smith.
“Our fire-and-rescue staff do incredible work, often going beyond the call of duty to save lives and property. With the awards, we hope to recognise that this is their passion and not just another job.”
Also honoured were firefighter Jacques Swanepoel, who helped to deliver a baby at the Goodwood fire station; firefighter Vusumzi Mzimvubu, for ensuring the service maintains a high level of efficiency; and divisional commander Jermaine Carelse, for his work within the quality assurance section.
