Several senior firefighters were formally acknowledged and celebrated during a graduation ceremony after having completed the Officer Development Programme, as part of the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service Training Academy.
The 14 senior firefighters, all with over 20 years of experience, were joined by beaming family and friends at the Alphen Centre, Constantia, on Monday.
They are from bases across the Western Cape, and now possess proven competency to take up positions of officers.
The Officer Development Programme was first introduced in 2023, with the current graduates the second group of senior firefighters to have completed it.
Graduate Alvin Kaliza, from Belhar, was stationed at Belhar Fire Station for 20 years and four years at his current base, Goodwood Fire Station.
“This training has been really a mind shift changing into advancement and the different ways of fighting fires,” he said, adding that he would be applying for an officer job.
“Relief that its over. It's been hard work and dedication to go through this process.”
The senior firefighters were selected based on their years of experience and amount of courses already completed.
Delivering the keynote address was City’s Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith.
“The City is constantly putting resources into our Fire Department and Cape Town Fire Services is widely acknowledged as the most functional Fire Department in South Africa… So we are expanding, launching our 33rd fire station, taking in constant new equipment.
“We're innovating continuously, but you’re only as good as the staff that operate all that equipment, that run those stations, that do the command and control.”
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za