The Sunday News
Loveness Mpofu, Sunday News Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC)’s plans to open an ambulance training school next year are at an advanced stage after they received part of the essential training centre equipment from a United Kingdom-based organisation.
BCC chamber secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said they have identified the premises and they were carrying out renovations to meet the requirements.
“Plans to start an ambulance training school are still on course and we are grateful to Operation Florian for including training school equipment in this year’s donation to the Fire and Emergency Services Department,” she said.
“We have identified the premises, which we are currently renovating. Currently, the ambulance training school awaits the recruitment of a training officer and with funds permitting we should commence by next year.”
Part of the council plans include the construction of new fire stations in Cowdray Park and Waterford suburbs.
Mrs Zhou, however, said they have failed to build the two stations due to financial and human capital constraints.
Meanwhile, the city council’s overview report revealed that the local authority attended to 494 fire incidents last year, a significant increase from the previous year’s 383. Veld fires increased by 53 percent from 114 in 2016 to 245 in 2017.
Five fire related fatalities occurred during the course of the year compared to eight in 2016, recording a 38 percent decrease. Fire related injuries accounted for eleven persons, representing a 52 percent decrease compared to 23 in 2016.
The ambulance services attended to 18 306 calls in 2017, representing an eight percent decrease compared to 19 986 in 2016. Of the 18 306 calls, 949 were road traffic collisions, 39 of which were outside Bulawayo covering a distance of 3 252 km.
A total of 1 957 casualties were transferred to different medical facilities in 2017, while road accidents claimed the lives of 36 people.
In a bid to mitigate incidents of preventable fires and related losses, the emergency services inspected 734 public, industrial and commercial properties. Council carried 160 fire safety awareness campaigns in 22 wards that were attended by 51 071 people.-@lvydvy1
