Peter Tanyanyiwa
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
MORE than 440 firefighters drawn from over 10 organisations across the country will converge in Beitbridge between Tuesday and Thursday for a national firefighting competition organised by the National Industrial Fire Control Association (NIFCA).
The association’s public relations officer, Miss Rose Masayile, said the annual event seeks to test firefighting skills, promote professionalism and improve preparedness in handling fire emergencies in industrial and community settings.
“Beitbridge will host this year’s national firefighters’ competition. We are expecting more than 440 firefighters from more than 10 organisations including municipalities, mining companies, and private industrial firms,” said Miss Masayile.
She said activities will start with a fire awareness campaign with border agencies and travellers at the US$300 million transformed Beitbridge Border Post on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, she said there will be a procession from the new Beitbridge Fire Station in the town to Dulivhadzimu Stadium where the main competitions will be held on Thursday.
“The team will also carry out a fire awareness campaign targeting border agencies, cross-border transporters, travellers and the local business community,” she said.
“This campaign is critical given that Beitbridge handles thousands of travellers daily and fires are common around the border town.”
She said the national competition will also be used to share knowledge, test new equipment and strengthen inter-agency coordination during disasters and that the event is being held in Beitbridge for the first time since the association was formed in 1992.
Miss Masayile said the choice of Beitbridge recognises the massive property development in the border town, including the recent US$300 million border modernisation project.
The project also saw the construction of a modern fire station in Beitbridge Town that meets international standards.
It is understood that the new fire station has transformed emergency response in Beitbridge. The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) has also trained firefighters from the Municipality of Beitbridge and the Rural District Council (RDC).
In addition, the Government has also supplied modern fire tenders to the border town to boost its response capacity.
Before the construction of the new fire stations, Beitbridge relied on Musina in South Africa for fire emergencies and, at times, Gwanda in major emergencies, a situation that caused delays and property losses.
The three-day event is expected to draw participants from various towns and councils across the country.
Online Reporter