The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department assists at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital fire
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department activated and deployed resources to aid in the evacuation of patients at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, following a fire that broke out at the hospital on Friday, 16 April 2021.
A call for aid was received from the acting Head of Department of the Gauteng Department of Health through the Head of the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre.
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department immediately deployed a major incident unit bus along with a special infectious unit ambulance and an intensive care ambulance.
The major incident unit bus, the first of its kind in the country, and the two special ambulances transported 48 patients from Charlotte Maxeke Hospital to Tshwane District Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital within 30 hours.
The major incident unit bus evacuated adult and pediatric patients, while the special ambulances evacuated a COVID-19 intensive care unit patient and a maternity patient who required emergency surgery.
“I am proud of the Emergency Services Department personnel selflessly working for more than thirty hours, driving distances of more 50 kilometers to and from Tshwane District and Charlotte Maxeke Hospitals, about 18 kilometers to and from Charlotte Maxeke and Chris Hani Baragwanath and about 3 kilometers to and from the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospitals,” said Alderman Karen Meyer, the MMC responsible for Community Safety in the City of Tshwane. .
Report a fire or life-threatening emergency on 107 or alternatively call 012 358 6300/6400.
Issued by the City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department.
- Published in Uncategorized
Firefighters save a Pretoria West Transformer manufacturing factory from possible complete destruction by fire
City of Tshwane firefighters responded to the fire that broke out at SGB-Smit Power Matla at approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 7 March 2021.
A District Commander in the Fire and Rescue Operations Division saw a cloud of dark smoke in the direction of the Pretoria West industrial area while driving with her command aide from a house fire in West Park.
She ordered her aide to drive in the direction of the smoke to investigate. When they arrived at the gate of the factory on the corner of Buitekant and Carl Street, they discovered smoke and visible flames coming out of an industrial plant. She immediately ordered the dispatch of firefighting resources by radio to the Emergency Call Centre.
According to information provided on-site, it was established that a fire had broken out in one of the 90 kVA transformers. It was also established that there were various hazardous and flammable substances (transformer oil, kerosene, paint, liquefied petroleum gas, oxygen, acetenyl, etc) of various quantities in the factory.
Upon the arrival of the firefighting crews, sectors were established to initiate the fire attack on the south-western part of the building (to prevent the fire from spreading to the eastern and south-eastern parts of the building) and exposure protection of the northern parts of the building.
The northern part of the building has two 14 000-litre tanks of kerosene, two 33 000-litre tanks of transformer oil and a 30 000-litre trailer tanker. The south-eastern part of the building has a core cutting plant and a small transformer manufacturing plant, which were saved from the blaze. Several high-voltage transformers that were either completed or near completion and a control room in the main plant were destroyed by the fire.
Various shut-off valves providing the plant with kerosene and transformer oil were closed. The contents still in the 75-millimetre pipelines remained a concern during the firefighting operation, as well as the explosions that could be heard from inside the building.
The fire was contained at around 18:30. Firefighters continued with operations until after midnight when cooling off and the elimination of hotspots were completed.
The extent of the damage has not yet been quantified and the exact cause of the transformer catching fire remains a subject of investigation. Firefighting teams continue to monitor the plant for any possible flare-ups.
- Published in Uncategorized
