Register fire protection association

About forming a fire protection association

You can form a fire protection association (FPA) to predict, prevent, manage and extinguish veld fires in your area if you are:

• a land owner
• a tenant
• an executive officer of a local authority
• appointed to control state land (including South African National Defence Force land)
• controlling land under orders of the High Court.

You must be living in an area which:

• has regular veld fires or
• is at risk of veld fires or 
• has forest or vegetation.

You cannot form an association as an individual. You must be a group of people falling within the above mentioned criteria, living in the same area.

Your duties as a fire protection association will be to:

• develop and apply a veld fire management strategy for your area
• identify natural conditions which can cause fire
• regularly communicate fire danger ratings to members in your area
• organise and train members in your area for fighting, managing and preventing fire
• give the Minister of  Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment statistics about veld fires in your area
• give information requested by the Minister for the prevention of veld fires

What you should do

1. Call a meeting with interested qualifying individuals
2. If there is an existing fire service, you must give a written notice to that association that you want to form another fire protection association and invite their chief fire officer to the meeting. Take minutes of the meeting, which must indicate:
   • whether or not there was unanimous support for the formation of the fire protection association
   • the number of votes in favour of forming the association
   • the number of votes against forming the association
   • the the number of people who abstained from casting their votes on forming the association.
3. Write and sign a written agreement stating that you form part of the association.
4. Elect a chairperson and an executive committee.
5. Give a name for the fire protection association and the description of your area.
6. Keep an attendance register with contact details including the postal address of all individuals who attended the meeting.
7. Download and complete Form 1 for approval by  DFFE. If the DFFEapproves your application, you must then download and submit Form 2 and attach the following:

• minutes of the meeting
• the FPA’s constitution and 
• the FPA’s business plan, which includes its veld fire management strategy and rules.

How long does it take

There is no time frame.

How much does it cost

The service is free.

Forms to complete

Forms are available from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Who to contact