Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille
Mayor De Lille thanks all firefighters
We are immensely proud of the brave men and women who have tirelessly
been extinguishing fires across Cape Town during the last few months.
This fire season has been particularly challenging for our Fire and Rescue
Service, who have seen a serious hike in the frequency of fires. Our latest
recorded statistics revealed that there had been an increase from 3 359
incidents between December 2013 and January 2014, to 4 325 incidents
during the same period this festive season. Despite this severe increase,
fatalities have decreased from the year before.
I would like to give heartfelt thank you to the firefighters for their bravery.
Every day they encounter danger to ensure that the residents of Cape Town
are kept safe. We appreciate their contributions to making Cape Town a truly
safe city where disasters are managed efficiently.
Our appreciation goes to the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety
and Security, Alderman JP Smith, the Executive Director for Safety and
Security, Richard Bosman, the Chief of the City’s Fire and Rescue Service, Ian
Schnetler and his courageous team as well as Station Commander Theo
Layne for the excellent service that they have been providing.