Page 11 - Waterfall_Issue 7_2022
P. 11
What expertise do you bring to a line into the house and release about
Waterfall? We have a highly skilled 100 litres of water in the shape of water
team of commanders and officers, all mist or high fog. The flames and heat will
trained in municipal fire services, with absorb most of the moisture, so there is
over 300 years of service among them. very little water damage to your property.
If necessary, we will ventilate the fire by
Can you assist with both residential creating openings in the roof. This is an
and commercial fires? Waterfall has exercise practised by skilled firefighters.
veld and brush, houses, blocks of flats,
townhouses, single-family homes, What if a fire breaks out in one of
multi-family homes, industrial sites, the tall commercial buildings on
offices, warehouses – we are geared Waterfall? Height actually makes no
for all that. When we have a fire, we difference because we tackle the blaze
don’t only dispatch our local Waterfall internally. We go in using the escape
team, we send teams from at least stairwell and the fireman’s lift, which
three Patches simultaneously. In this uses auxiliary power. Any building higher
case, it would be from Rosebank and than 30 meters has a fireman’s lift fitted.
Dainfern, so at any structural fire on The only time we fight a fire externally
Waterfall, there will be vehicles from is if the roof has already collapsed upon
at least three Patches in attendance. our arrival, or in the event of a factory
fire due to dangers within the building.
How can residents or businesses
contact the Fire Ops Team in an What are the general protocols for
emergency? We are a phone call away evacuating a building on fire?
on 083 622 6026. This number is already While there are different approaches
listed on the Go Waterfall app under to evacuating a house, hospital,
emergency contacts. They can also mall or office block, in all these
download the LominaSOS Public App cases, every minute counts!
from the Apple App Store or Google Play
Store and register using the organisation In a family home setup, there are
code f1r3ops. The app helps us to get hopefully smoke detectors that will
the caller’s coordinates, so that we can wake or alert the family to the fire. It is
respond within minutes. In either case, essential to have a practised evacuation
our policy is that crews must leave their plan. Exit the house through the front
Patches within a minute of a report door and close it behind you. Don’t
received during the day and within 90 worry about fire extinguishers - just get
seconds at night time, so we will be on out. Fire spreads very quickly inside a
site within 7 minutes or less in Waterfall. dwelling. If gas cylinders are involved,
let the firefighters handle them.
If there is a fire in my house, how
would Fire Ops SA tackle it? We have In an office setting, first evacuate the
has breathing apparatus, ladders, a unique fire attack philosophy. We room that’s on fire. Shut the door. Then
fire hoses, and salvage sheets to use very little water but use extremely evacuate that wing, the full floor, and
protect furniture in the burning high pressure. We carry water on our then the floor above and below it.
building – standard firefighting vehicles, and once we arrive on the Firefighters will give further guidance. It is
equipment of international standards. scene, we determine the location of the often unnecessary to evacuate an entire
fire in the structure. The first attack is by office block as it can cause more chaos.
Can you help with other two crew members, while other team
emergencies? That’s actually what members will be looking for pools, fire Tips to contain or extinguish
we do. So we are geared for all hydrants, and other water sources. Entry everyday residential fires quickly.
situations, whether it is an earthquake, is normally gained through the front If you have a fire on the stove, throw
a snake in your home, your car swept door. We request that people leave their a fire blanket over it. These are
away by storm water, or your roof homes if there is a fire and keep the door inexpensive to buy and work well.
being blown off by a hurricane. closed until we arrive. Next, we stretch You can also use a dry powder fire
Waterfall Issue 7 2022 9
