More safety and security veterans join the 20+ club

21 July 2017

The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate today paid tribute to more than 200 staff members who have all reached long service milestones. The 212 officers and staff who were given long-service awards today have between them given 5 481 years of service.

The staff members from the City’s enforcement and rescue services have been in the City’s employ for between 20 and 45 years – the bulk of them employed by the Fire and Rescue Service, Law Enforcement, Traffic and Coordination Services. A full list of recipients is available here.

‘These recipients represent on the job experience that money cannot buy and I am immensely proud to be associated with the Directorate. Maintaining safety and security is a tough ask on any given day and in a city of more than four million people, there’s hardly a moment to switch off. I wish to thank all of our long-service recipients, as well as the staff in general, for their hard work and commitment to making Cape Town a safer place for everyone in it,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

Among the 99 staff members who are now joining the ‘20+ club’ is the first female Divisional Commander in the Fire and Rescue Service, Arlene Wehr.

Wehr joined the Fire and Rescue Service in 1996 – she was one of the first female firefighters employed by the City and faced many challenges in what was then a male-dominated environment. Wehr turned the challenges into opportunities and worked her way through the ranks to her current position: Divisional Commander. She has also been responsible for planning and leading City delegations to numerous World Firefighter Games competitions and has her sights set on even more achievements.

‘It is easy to forget the sacrifices and contributions of our staff when we’re literally fighting fires and handling disasters and crime on a daily basis. An event like this allows one to pause and appreciate the individuals and remind ourselves of their personal and professional achievements, growth and development over the years. The City of Cape Town is fortunate to have the calibre of employees who live the values of the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan and understand the principle of customer-centric delivery by putting our residents first in everything they do,’ added Alderman Smith.

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