Programme Director;
The Honourable Executive Mayor;
Councillors and Officials of the Local Authority.
The All female crew leaders;
Comrades, ladies and gentlemen.
I am really pleased to be part of this important occasion this morning as we celebrate this important milestone as these 32 women fire fighters complete their leadership training.
This initiative is part our government’s ambitious plan to create more leadership opportunities for women in the veld and forest fire fighting industry in South Africa.
The “All Female Crew Leader Course” these 32 remarkable women have just completed, has been specifically designed to provide intensive training to women fire fighters on advanced veld and forest fire fighting. The course also teaches them fire line supervision skills and critical health and safety procedures which are required in order to lead a fire fighting team.
We train these women to become motivated fire fighters who are able to operate safely and efficiently and we also teach them key leadership skills which gives them the ability to lead a professional fire fighting team in dangerous and unpredictable work environments.
In addition the course also teaches these women how to deal and cope with the psychological and emotional challenges of being crew leaders. Often it is expected of the Crew Leaders to provide some form of mentoring and counselling to their team whilst they are in a stressful environment on the fire line.
During the course the women were put through various physical exercises to ensure that they are physically strong and that they will be able to cope with the strenuous work environment of being on a fire line in difficult terrains.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working on Fire (WOF) program has, over its ten-year existence, by all account been a resounding success. During this decade it has earned a number of awards, excelled in reaching its stated goals and most importantly, transformed the lives of its beneficiaries and their families, beyond expectations.
The programme has excelled in its three key objectives, namely:
a. job creation,
b. skills development and
c. contributing to South Africa’s integrated fire management capacity.
From its humble origins involving 25 teams (850 beneficiaries) in September 2003, it has grown to its current force of over 5 000 personnel spread across 200 bases in all the provinces of South Africa. The Working on Fire programme employs 32% females in its ranks of firefighters. This is highest level of female participation in any similar firefighting service in the world.
The training provided in the WoF programme is modelled on international best practice and has transformed formerly unskilled youth to become productive members of their communities. The life skills components of the basic training provide beneficiaries with a platform for personal growth and progress up the ranks of the WoF programme.
Moreover the contribution of the WoF Programme to the overall Integrated Fire Management capacity in South Africa has been widely acknowledge by fire management professionals and the general public at large. The programme has a large collection of testimonials which acknowledge the efforts of WoF fire fighters contribution to the country’s overall integrated fire management capacity. WoF is a leading job creation and poverty alleviation programme and recruits and trains young people into becoming professional veld and forest fire fighters.
These fire fighters come from marginalised communities and WoF provides them with fire awareness and education, prevention and fire suppression skills. In the period 1 May – 30 September this year WoF fire fighters had to suppress just over 1850 veldfires which caused damage to an estimated 415 000 hectares of fynbos, plantations and vegetation. During this same period the WoF aerial resources have already flown just over 1 700 hours fighting these fires.
The WoF Training Academy has afforded many young women the opportunity not only to become highly sought after veld and forest fire fighters, but it has also trained them in acquiring important life skills which they can use to seek employment beyond the WoF programme.
Now that they have completed this course, these women will be put on an intensive 3 month mentoring and probation period at their bases throughout South Africa where they will be expected to also lead their teams in fires suppression, prescribed burning and fire awareness education related activities.”
Ladies and gentlemen,
Government is mindful of the current, massive wildfires in New South Wales, Australia, which have once again put the spotlight on how well prepared our own wildfire services in South Africa. The question is whether we will be able to respond swiftly and decisively in suppression fires of this magnitude. Working on Fire is currently looking into placing a team of WOF fire fighters in Australia during this fire season, not only to assist with their fire management efforts, but also to bring home some learnings gleaned Down Under.
The working on fire programme has a high regard for safety and our training places a premium on the health and safety of our fire fighters. Recruits are put through rigorous training based on international standards which equip them to work as wildland fire fighters. These fire fighters undergo an extensive 25 day basic WOF fire training course.
In conclusion, I would like to say congratulations to these women leaders that we are honouring today. I hope you will inspire many others to follow your example and realise that opportunities to progress are not always found in obvious places. This reminds me of an old saying by American inventor, Thomas A. Edison that: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Well done to the Department of Environmental Affairs and government broadly, firstly for recognising the potential impact of this programme on our poor communities and secondly for continuing to invest in this important programme.
Thank you.
For media queries, kindly contact:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
