Many residents probably watched the spectacular fire drill on the Hartbeespoort Dam on Saturday night which was a training exercise to implement reaction procedures for fires and disasters on the dam.
The exercise was performed by Hartbeespoort NSRI, Strategic Response and Rescue (SRU) unit, the Hartbeespoort Dam Law Enforcement Unit, with the assistance of Hartbeespoort Emergency Medical Services (HEMS)’s Station 21 fire unit.
A boat was set alight and the necessary reaction units were deployed. “Our aim was not to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, but to train the action teams and test procedures and new equipment,” said Arthur Crewe of the NSRI. “Previously there were no such services available to respond to this kind of incidents. This was a valuable exercise to determine what we still need and how we have to expand.”
A crew of approximately 30 team members took part in the drill. It was followed by a search and rescue exercise. It also served as skipper training during emergencies.