New Chief Fire Officer takes charge
04 June 2023
Clinton Manuel has a career in firefighting spanning more than three decades and since Thursday, 1 June 2023, he is tasked with leading from the front in Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service.
Chief Fire Officer, Clinton Manuel's appointment comes seven months after the retirement of his predecessor, Ian Schnetler.
Schnetler was on hand at the Epping Fire Station on Thursday, 1 June, to award the new CFO with his accredited stars.
Manuel joined the Cape Town Municipal Fire Brigade as a Learner Firefighter in February 1989.
He has served at numerous fire stations in various capacities since joining the Fire Service, including Lakeside, Epping, Salt River, Roeland Street, Gugulethu and the Epping Training Centre (later renamed the Fire and Rescue Service Training Academy).
Over time, he earned additional certification qualifications to advance in the ranks, including a National Diploma in Fire Service Technology in 1995 and a degree in Public Management.
'I am incredibly proud, but humbled by the appointment, and that the City has entrusted the Fire and Rescue Service to my leadership. I will do my utmost to repay that trust. I want to thank my predecessor for the solid foundation he built, and I call on each and every employee in the Fire and Rescue Service, but also all of our residents, to work together in ensuring that we continue building a strong and resilient Fire Service and make our city safer,' said CFO Manuel.
Among the new CFO's achievements over the past 34 years are:
- Leading the Fire and Rescue Service's Training Centre to achieve accreditation with the Local Government Sector Education Training Association (LG SETA), the Southern African Emergency Service Institute (SAESI) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)
- Cape Town becoming the first South African municipal fire service to achieve membership of the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC)
- Becoming the first ever board member from the continent of Africa, to service on the Certificate Assembly Board of Governors of IFSAC
- Turning around the Knysna Fire Service during his three-year tenure as Fire Chief (end 2014 – 2018), including drafting a Fire Service By-law
- Serving as incident commander during the 2017 Knysna Fires, which was classified a Type 1 incident – the first of its kind in South Africa
'Chief Manuel has a stellar track record and I have no doubt that Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Service is in good hands. He knows the service inside out, he is well familiar with the hundreds of firefighters under his watch, and he has a passion for training, development and advancement – all of the things that will help take our service to the next level. We are already one of the best, if not the best functioning Fire and Rescue Service in the country, and I look forward to seeing what additional plaudits our new Chief will lead us to,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
