Boost for city rescue missions

Municipal Correspondent

THE Harare City Council’s emergency services division has received a boost in the form of state-of-the-art emergency rescue equipment worth US$14 000 from Mr Peter Lobel.

Mr Lobel has in the past donated nine fire tenders and an assortment of rescue equipment to the city.

He donated a Holmatro set containing a hydraulic pump, telescopic ram and a combination cutter for vehicle entrapment rescue.

Mr Lobel expressed hope that the donation will go a long way in saving many lives in the city and beyond.

“I just want you to imagine that one day you may be trapped in a car and when you call the City of Harare it will respond and come to your rescue and extract you from the car,” he said.

Accepting the donation, acting mayor councillor Enock Mupamawonde said the equipment was coming at a time when the city’s rate of fires and emergencies has been increasing in the last few weeks.

Councillor Mupamawonde said in the past two months alone, two buildings were engulfed by fire in the Central Business District.

“We also had the offices of a bed manufacturing company that went up in flames just recently and we have been helping other local authorities around the country,” he said.

“We should also take note that the donation is coming as we are coming out of winter and getting into a hot and dry season where the risk of fires either spontaneous or artificial is high.”

The city’s chief fire officer Mr Lovemore Mafukidze said the automotive rescue equipment will be handy.

“The importance of the equipment is that when we are carrying out rescue the concept and the principle of rescue is to create space around the patient,” he said.