Executive Mayor Randall Williams honoured 18 Tshwane firefighters for service delivery excellence and bravery at an awards ceremony on 03 June 2021.
The initiative was to acknowledge the brave firefighters who took part in the Bank of Lisbon fire operation.
“Just over two years ago, the City of Tshwane’s motto “Igniting excellence” – found expression in the way our firefighters conducted themselves when they were called to aid their fellow colleagues in distress. In September 2018, an unfortunate incident befell the Bank of Lisbon Building in the City of Johannesburg when it caught fire.
“City of Tshwane firefighters were called to help extinguish the deadly blaze. The call received a swift response from our Emergency Services Department, our firefighters were immediately dispatched to assist. They took on this mission with grace and humility notwithstanding the deadly risks associated with such an operation.
When Johannesburg EMS reached out to Tshwane, they knew they could count on the skills and services our firefighters, they knew they were reaching out to dedicated professionals.
“Men and women in uniform from various disciplines play a critical role in keeping our communities safe, be it through crime fighting, responding to emergencies, assisting the ill or putting out fires. They do all of this but do not always get the recognition they deserve.
“I believe that firefighters are some of the most courageous people in the world, they are tasked with the unique responsibility of running towards danger to put out fires, conduct rescues and evacuations. This a unique act of bravery that deserves our praise and respect.
“I stand here on behalf of the Tshwane leadership to express our gratitude for the outstanding work you did at the Bank of Lisbon and for many other emergency cases you attended to in our City.
“That Bank of Lisbon Building fire resulted in the demise of three firefighters, this shows the immense, almost impossible task you were faced with. But despite the challenges and the dangerous situation you were in, you still put your best foot forward.
“For that we would like to say thank you all for being true professionals and for flying the Tshwane flag high. You are an inspiration and as a City, we couldn’t be more proud.
You have earned these bravery medals, every single one of them. May these medals motivate you to rise above all odds and to continue serving our communities with dedication and selflessness”.
