Gibson Mhaka
Bulawayo City Council (BCC) councillors have called on residents to prioritise Fire and Ambulance emergency numbers so they can quickly call in the event of a fire outbreak or an emergency.
According to the latest council minutes Ward 25 Councillor Aleck Ndlovu highlighted the public’s lack of awareness regarding Fire and Ambulance emergency numbers.
“Discussion ensued and Councillor A. Ndlovu raised concern about the general public’s lack of awareness on Fire and Ambulance emergency numbers. When a fire broke out, residents wasted time seeking emergency numbers. He felt that notices and publications showing the emergency numbers should be available to the general public. There was a need to strengthen awareness campaigns. He had witnessed an incident where a house was gutted down by fire as the people around did not know the Fire Brigade numbers,” the minutes read in part.
Ward 26 Cllr Mpumelelo Moyo wanted to know if it was part of the Fire Brigade to do an analysis of what started the fire. In response, Chamber Secretary Sikhangele Zhou advised that fire awareness campaigns were being conducted for the City’s residents and the emergency numbers were as follows 0292 – 71717.
“The number 994\993 was also the actual emergency number and worked efficiently in redirecting emergency calls,” said Zhou.
She explained that the major factor which resulted in the burning down of the house witnessed by Cllr Ndlovu was that the occupants were away.
“The whole incident was dependent on neighbours,” she said.
She further highlighted that investigations into fire causes and detailed analyses are always carried out. The level of detail from these investigations is communicated to property owners after completion, and the full analysis is made available upon request.
