Update
GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Several fires raged in the Garden Route over the past few weeks. The first started in Herold on 24 October and spread over the Outeniqua mountain to George. In the following days, other fires started in the area and at times at least 12 fires were raging. Many have asked if enough was done to contain the fires.
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) replied to a list of questions submitted by George Herald, including what the role of each municipality, GR fire department and disaster management was, what the command structure entails in the case of a disaster and what happened after the first report of a fire in Herold was received.
Read GRDM's full reply below:
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) was active with firefighting operations in the Hessequa municipal area since 21 October 2018 until 27 October 2018. Most of GRDM's resources were deployed to this area until 27 October because of re-occurring flare-ups. The Incident Commander at the Hessequa forward control point (FCP) was Mr Voss, the Head of Disaster Management (Hessequa Municipality).
The wildfire at Herold was reported to the GRDM call centre on Wednesday 24 October at 18:05 by the George Municipality. No aerial fire resources were requested to be deployed at that point in time.
The protocol for use of WOF helicopters call for a fixed wing spotter plane to be in the air before a helicopter can be activated. Sunset on 24 October was at 18:53, meaning that a reconnaissance flight would still have needed to take place before any helicopter could be permitted to get airborne in order to conduct aerial firefighting.
At 07:51 on 25 October 2018, the GRDM Executive Manager of Community Services was informed by the George Fire Chief that the George Municipality requested support from the GRDM. This was consequently reported to the GRDM Fire Chief and acted upon as soon as resources became available. At this point in time there was already an active wildfire in the Herold area and by then the wildfire had already moved up into the Outeniqua mountains.
A GRDM firefighter and a bakkie pump was deployed to the scene at 13:00. All other resources were still in use at Vermaaklikheid at this time. On the same day at 14:02 a reconnaissance flight took place to assess the current conditions.
On 25 October 2018 a unified command structure was established in Denneoord - role players included George Municipality, GRDM, CapeNature, MPO, SANParks, Working on Fire (WoF) and the Fire Protection Association (FPA).
On 26 and 27 October 2018, weather conditions did not permit any reconnaissance flight to take place because of cloud coverage, a thick layer of dense mist, smoke and windy conditions.
It is important to note that the objectives of firefighting operations are to protect the lives of responders, community members and infrastructure. With the death of a pilot in the Hessequa area on 23 October 2018, all role players were extremely cautious to send a pilot into a scene where his/her life could be at risk, because of very unpleasant and exceptionally dangerous weather conditions.
On 28 October 2018 a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) was established at the head office of GRDM. The JOC was jointly operated by the district and Western Cape Provincial Government.
The Fire Services Unit at Garden Route District Municipality is a line-function, while the Disaster Management Unit is a coordinating function.
RESOURCES
The GRDM deployed the following resources:
- 4 Senior Firefighting officers
- 36 firefighters
- 5 medium tankers
- 6 skid units ("bakkie sakkies")
- 1 rescue vehicle
TIME-LINE / MANAGEMENT OF WILDFIRE
- 25 October 2018 Location Denneoord
Incident Commander (CapeNature) - 26 October 2018 Location: Denneoord
Unified Command Management Team (GRDM, George LM, CapeNature) - 27 October 2018 Location: Witfontein
Unified Command Management Team (GRDM, George LM, CapeNature) - 28 October 2018 to date Location:
GRDM H/O Joint Operations Centre (role players outside the firefighting profession included).
LEGISLATION:
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL STRUCTURES ACT 117 of 1998
In terms of the Local Government, Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, Chapter 5, 84(j), a district municipality is responsible for:
(1) planning, coordination and regulation of fire services;
(ii) specialised firefighting services such as mountain, veld and chemical fire services;
(iii) coordination of the standardisation of infrastructure, vehicles, equipment and procedures;
(iv) training of fire officers.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT, No 57 of 2002 and its amendments. According to Chapter 5, 44, a disaster management centre -
(1) (a) must specialise in issues concerning disasters and disaster management in the municipal area;
(b) must promote an integrated and coordinated approach to disaster management in the municipal area, with special emphasis on prevention and mitigation, by -
(i) departments and other internal units within the administration of the municipality, and, in the case of a district municipality, also by departments and other internal units within the administration of the local municipalities in the area of the district municipality;
(ii) all municipal entities operating in the municipal area; and
(iii) other role players involved in disaster management in the municipal area;
(c) must act as a repository of, and conduit for, information concerning disasters, impending disasters and disaster management in the municipal area;
(d) may act as an advisory and consultative body on issues concerning disasters and disaster management in the municipal area for -
(i) organs of state and statutory functionaries;
(ii) the private sector and non-governmental organisations; and communities and individuals;
(e) must make recommendations regarding the finding of disaster management in the municipal area, and initiate and facilitate efforts to make such funding available;
(f) may make recommendations to any relevant organ of state or statutory functionary -
(i) on draft legislation affecting this Act, the national disaster management framework or any other disaster management issue;
(ii) on the alignment of municipal legislation with this Act, the national disaster management framework and the relevant provincial disaster management framework; or
(iii) in the event of a local disaster on whether a local state of disaster should be declared in terms of section 55;
(g) must promote the recruitment, training and participation of volunteers in disaster management in the municipal area;
(h) must promote disaster management capacity building, training and education, including in schools, in the municipal area;
(i) may promote research into all aspects of disaster management in the municipal area;
(j) may give advice and guidance by disseminating information regarding disaster management in the municipal area, especially to communities that are vulnerable to disasters;
(k) may exercise any powers and must perform any duties delegated and assigned to it in terms of section 14; and
(l) may assist in the implementation of legislation referred to in section 2(1) (b) to the extent required by the administrator of such legislation and approved by the municipal council.
(2) A municipal disaster management centre may engage in any lawful activity in the municipal area, whether alone or together with any other organisation, aimed at promoting the effective exercise of its powers and performance of its duties.
(3) A municipal disaster management centre must exercise its powers and perform its duties
(a) within the national disaster management framework, the disaster management framework of the province concerned and the disaster management framework of its municipality;
(b) subject to the municipality's integrated development plan and other directions of the municipal council acting with the national disaster management framework, the disaster management framework of the province concerned and the disaster management framework of the municipality; and
(c) in accordance with the administrative instructions of the municipal manager.
(4) A municipal disaster management centre must liaise and coordinate its activities with the National Centre and the relevant provincial disaster management centre.
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