Civil society structures put through their paces
09 December 2024
The dry run was the second of its kind this year, designed to test the City’s Civil Security Collaboration Initiative. It involved a number of Neighbourhood Watches and other civil society safety partners, who were tested through simulations in Milnerton and Durbanville.
The Civil Security Collaboration aims to use community structures to strengthen information sharing and responses to crises or disasters.
The first dry run took place in May this year, with numerous scenarios in Muizenberg, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Strand, Milnerton and Hout Bay.
This past Saturday, there were two simulations:
• A beach safety simulation in Milnerton to test interagency coordination and emergency response protocols, while highlighting the importance of public safety measures during the festive season.
• An armed robbery and shooting incident in rural Durbanville
Among the role players involved were City enforcement and emergency services, Neighbourhood Watches, Afriforum, Community in Blue volunteers, SAPS Junior Commissioners, lifesaving clubs and Netcare 911.
‘These simulations are crucial to checking just how well-oiled our systems are, and to identify areas of improvement. In a crisis, one requires as many hands on deck, but even more important is to ensure that those hands work in a coordinated fashion, in the interest of public safety. It is also a way of acknowledging the role that our civil society structures play in keeping Cape Town safe, and empowering them to play an even bigger role in our safety efforts, particularly over the busy summer period,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The sharing of information is a vital part of the Civil Security Collaboration, and to this end, a dedicated WhatsApp line was set up earlier this year, which serves as a platform by means of which participants can gain a virtual presence in the City’s Joint Operations Centre (JOC).
In the event of a crisis, these representatives would use the platform to communicate information to the City as part of its response planning and execution.
‘Public safety is everyone’s business and this initiative underpins that approach. The Safety and Security Directorate has shown, over time, its commitment to expanding the public safety footprint, by bringing others onboard. From our very successful Disaster Management and Law Enforcement volunteers, to our Neighbourhood Watch support programme and now this collaboration. In a crisis, the person who needs help doesn’t care about a title or a uniform, but whether the person coming to their rescue is up to the task. These simulations are but one of the ways we are working towards achieving that goal,’ said the Chairperson of the City’s Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe.
End Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
