M Mpofu on behalf of J Radebe: Debis Emergency Hero of the Year
Awards

8 June 2007

Programme Director – Michael Mol
MEC M T Madikana
Daniel Moeletsi – CEO Debis Fleet Management
Dr Hans George Nieser – Chairman Daimler Chrysler
Kerry Elsdon – Daimler Chrysler
Mr Lazarus Zim
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

We are gathered here this evening to honour, to praise and to give due
recognition to our colleagues who go beyond the call of duty in the execution
of their duties. I stop from a minute and try to imagine a South Africa, even a
world, without emergency services and the picture I see is too frightening to
describe. The mandate of my ministry and department covers all modes of
transport and it is in all these various modes that we see the sterling work of
the men and women were have gathered here to sing praise to this evening.

We saw the brave actions and efforts of our officials during the floods in
Mozambique where a child was born on a tree and we say soldier on to our army
emergency personnel. The National Search and Rescue Institute responds to
countless calls of distress at sea, thanks to the emergency services teams that
are always ready and willing to go the extra mile to save these live which are
in need of urgent help. Very fresh in our memories is the recent plane crash
that took place in Cameroon. Even though there were no survivors, we know the
brave efforts of the air rescue teams that were present at the scene.

Various groups and teams undertake mountain expeditions everyday and our
mountain rescue teams and personnel heed the call when signs of distress are
indicated. Medical personnel perform various forms of surgery and often times
the difference between life and death can depend on the quick response of
emergency services personnel. Think about the organ transport donation teams,
the navy of our country, the bomb squads, the police and firemen and women, our
paramedics in all these areas of emergency service and see the important, the
very important role the emergency services play in our daily lives. Road
accidents and the road carnage have become commonplace in South Africa. On
average 700 000 accidents occur on our roads and more than 13 000 people are
killed annually. These accidents and fatalities cost the economy more than R43
billion a year. This situation is intolerable and cannot be allowed to
continue.

In the major cities of our country, emergency sirens from police vehicles,
ambulances or even the fire brigade are a daily part of our lives. These
however, are a stark reminder of the selfless dedication of our emergency
services personnel. It is against this background that road safety in our
country is receiving high priority. The Department of Transport faces the
challenge of ensuring the provision of safe, reliable and sustainable public
transport systems and services. Safe infrastructure therefore, plays a
significant role in our quest to reduce the rate of road accidents in the
country. We have made the following budget allocations in the current Medium
Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period with the aim of improving our
transport services and also meeting the demands of the growing economy:

* R8,5 billion for passenger rail infrastructure
* R5,5 billon for national roads infrastructure
* R9,2 billion has been set aside for public transport infrastructure grant for
the 2010 Soccer World Cup

The Road Safety Strategy approved by cabinet last year coupled with
transport infrastructure investments is aimed at reducing fatalities on our
roads. This Strategy alone cannot work effectively without the support of
dedicated emergency personnel and committed law enforcement officials.
Government is therefore calling for the coordination of roles between the Metro
Police officials, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the emergency
services personnel to work together to reduce the tragic loss of lives among
road users through tight law enforcement. My department is determined through
public-private partnerships to support the work of emergency services in order
to reduce the loss of lives in our country. We have made road safety an issue
of national concern and you will realise that the Arrive Alive campaign has
been intensified into a campaign throughout the year. Road traffic authorities
will manage traffic along specific hazardous corridors more efficiently and it
is very important that the most relevant kind of assistance arrives on
time.

The increased volumes of cars on our roads have prompted the introduction
and implementation of effective Incident Management Systems (IMS) and emergency
services. The IMS are ways to ensure the rapid detection of incidents, quick
verification of the extent and type of incident followed by the rapid and
effective deployment of appropriate resources. This system allows for detailed
operational procedures and protocols between all parties concerned, including
ambulance, fire brigade, paramedics, traffic departments, local authorities,
maintenance units, tow and crane operators and road user associations. The IMS
facilitates on-scene co-ordination and co-operation by specifying areas of
jurisdiction and centralising communications to prevent duplication of
call-outs. SANRAL has already injected R1,2 million to be used to develop the
IMS interventions.

For incidents to be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible, it
would be important for incident responders to be trained on Incident
Management, over and above their institutional training. This operational
intervention will result in a common understanding of:
* incident detection
* responders mobilisation
* situation analysis i.e. on-scene big picture
* scene management (jointly/co-ordination)
* scene clearance, rehabilitation and follow-up.

Countless South African citizens owe their lives to you and we would like to
say thank you to our very own unsung South African heroes and heroines for
their dedication and commitment in safeguarding our lives.

I note with delight that your invitation this year has been extended not
only to emergency services but to emergency support services as well. The role
played by such institutions as ER24, Netcare and major security companies
cannot be overemphasised.

Cabinet has approved billions of Rands for strategies to support
preparations for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. In hosting a successful
tournament, South Africa is working tirelessly to improve the delivery of
emergency services, which cut across all the disciplines from traffic
management to disaster management. Emergency services are going to play a
critical role in hosting an incident free tournament. To Debis Fleet
Management, through the National Emergency Hero of the Year Award, you have
demonstrated your proven commitment to be associated with the principle of
service excellence and the values of respect for human life.

The Debis Emergency Hero of the Year Award will continue to gain support
from most of the stakeholders of the emergency services and related government
departments such as Transport, Health, Safety and Security and Social
Development. The finalists of this year's awards function are without
exception, people with extraordinary dedication. They have performed acts that
go beyond the call of duty to save lives and it is this bravery that we
acknowledge today.

I would like to congratulate Debis Fleet Management in celebrating this 5th
Anniversary of the Emergency Hero of the Year Awards and also congratulate all
the nominees present here. The public, who felt you have committed selfless
acts of bravery and have gone beyond your call of duty, have nominated you. Let
me emphasise that all of you, nominated or not, are winners of these awards.
There are no losers because each and every one of you is a team player and
without members of your team you cannot win.

I must stress that your bravery and commitment to the call of duty will go a
long way to reflect the good and remarkable work of the emergency services
industry. All of you have sacrificed much and risked your lives so that others
may live. In the best traditions of honour, you stand out as the beacons that
must guide us forever. You have confronted clear and present danger of one kind
or another, with full knowledge of the potential harm to yourselves, to save
human life. We are blessed that this ceremony permits us to share a brief
encounter with yourselves. You are the Florence Nightingales of our time and we
congratulate you all.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Transport
8 June 2007
Source: Department of Transport (http://www.transport.gov.za)