Earlier today, the City’s Fire and Rescue Service displayed some of the specialised equipment that will be used to fight fires during summer. The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith attended the event at Goodwood Fire Station.

The existing fleet comprises various specialised vehicles and equipment, including a flatbed heavy-duty cargo vehicle with a 32-ton crane capacity, two 4x4 water tankers with a 5 000-litre capacity, three 6x6 tankers with a 10 500-litre capacity, four 4x4 heavy-duty pumper firefighting vehicles, four 4x4 wildland firefighting vehicles and three off-road vehicles to support Incident Management Teams, among others.

Some of the newly acquired vehicles added to the fleet are 11 medium wildland firefighting  4x4 vehicles with 1500 litre capacity. These 4x4 vehicles can respond swiftly and reach difficult sandy and mountainous terrain to fight fires. 

In addition to the above, the following vehicles have been procured for delivery in December 2026:  two 4x4 medium wildland firefighting vehicles and a heavy-duty 44 metre hydraulic platform.

All vehicles are well-maintained, serviced and tested ensuring operational readiness at any given time.

Every year the Fire and Rescue Service employs a group of Wildland Firefighters on a contract basis to bolster resources over the warmer months when there is a higher risk of veld fires. 

In July this year, 35 new junior Firefighters  joined the ranks after successfully completing the Fire Cadet training programme. 

In the most recent financial year (2025/26), the Fire and Rescue Service attended to 30 513 incidents. 

‘Our firemen and women are highly trained and have built on the reputation of being well prepared with a rapid response time in difficult situations. They have proven to be the best in South Africa, and we are extremely proud to be able to support them with high-end technology and equipment. As we head towards what will be a long summer with high winds and temperatures, let us support our Fire Service when they get called out to fight a fire,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In this financial year, the Fire and Rescue Service will spend more than R25 million on resource investments. This includes: 

• R12 million in building improvements to Brooklyn and Constantia Fire Stations
• R5,75 million on additional specialised vehicles
• R5 million on minor building and fencing upgrades
• R3 million on the initial works at a new Fire Station in Langa
• R1,6 million on replacing firefighting equipment 

Reducing the risk of fires is everyone’s responsibility, and fire safety begins at home. For more details, please visit the guide page. 

In case of a fire emergency, the public is reminded to phone the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on  021 480 7700 from a cellphone.