This week marked a significant milestone for the City’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) as the private sector officially began the manufacturing of 17 specialised firefighting engines for the municipal Red Fleet. These engines will service the City’s 31 fire stations across all seven regions, ensuring that the community is protected and prepared for any emergency. The 17 vehicles include 13 heavy-duty fire and rescue vehicles, two water tankers, one telescopic aerial ladder, and one hydraulic platform. The first vehicle will be out of production in 10 months, while the entire project will be completed by May 2024.

“These vehicles, which will be handed over to the Department of Public Safety, will contribute to fulfilling the Mayoral Priority of building a safer and more secure City by enhancing response times and ensuring that when residents and businesses are faced with the unfortunate event of a fire or related emergency, they can rest assured that there will be vehicles available to save property and lives,” said the Executive Mayor, Cllr Mpho Phalatse.

The EMS responds to over 250 000 calls per year on average, making the City’s emergency management services one of the largest and busiest on the African continent.

“As a result, it is critical that our Joburg EMS women and men have the right tools to effectively disburse their life-saving duties on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year,” Cllr Phalatse added.

The manufacturing process of the City’s Red Fleet was unveiled at a plant in Joburg’s northern neighbour, Tshwane, where the specialised fire and rescue vehicles are manufactured locally by Mare Fire Fighting Technology, which boasts a 20-year record of manufacturing quality specialised vehicles for government departments and entities.

The Executive Mayor was flanked by the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Cllr Leah Knott, at the launch.

Cllr Knott explained that one of the key priorities of her portfolio is to make sure that the City’s emergency services are properly equipped to deliver efficient services to the residents of Johannesburg and to meet the mayoral priority of a safe and secure City.

“Our commitment to Johannesburg’s residents, under the leadership of our Executive Mayor, doesn’t end here. A further production of firefighting vehicles is in the works to assist our City in combating incidents that would not be necessary with the right equipment,” Cllr Knott said.

Jan Steyn, Managing Director Mare Fire Fighting Technology, expressed how honoured they are to produce the City’s red fleet.

“We promise we will do our absolute best and work as fast and hard as possible to deliver you world-class products,” said Steyn.

The City has secured a three-year contract for the Red Fleet’s repair and maintenance, which commenced in March 2022 and expires in February 2025.