Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
THE National Industrial Fire Control Association (NIFCA) has benchmarked the firefighting and fire-control systems at the US$300 million transformed Beitbridge Border Post as the border town continues to experience rapid growth.
The benchmarking exercise was conducted on Tuesday as part of NIFCA’s community engagement campaign aimed at raising fire safety awareness ahead of this year’s National Firefighters’ Competition to be held at Dulivhadzimu Stadium on Thursday.
Zimborders Consortium general manager Mr Nqobile Ncube said the visit provided an opportunity to assess the fire-control standards in place at the border post.
The Beitbridge Border Post modernisation project was implemented by Government and the Zimborders Consortium under a 17-and-a-half-year build-operate-and-transfer concession.
The project included several off-port developments, among them a sewer oxidation dam, animal plant and quarantine facility, fire station, 220 houses for border workers, road rehabilitation, and sewer and water infrastructure upgrades.
Under the concession, Zimborders is managing the border and recouping its investment through border user fees before handing the infrastructure back to Government at the end of the concession period.
Mr Ncube said the modernisation of the border had addressed shortcomings that had previously left Government warehouses vulnerable to fires.
“The visit by NIFCA is an integral benchmark and resource point in terms of benchmarking the standards we put on the ground. Pre-border modernisation, we lost at least three State warehouses due to fire incidents because there was no competent fire resource or system,” said Mr Ncube.
He said the new border post had been equipped with a stronger fire-control and response system, with further improvements made following recommendations from NIFCA.
“So this new border post was built with a robust fire control and response system. In addition, we have improved on certain areas as recommended by NIFCA to meet international standards in terms of colour coding in certain areas.”
Mr Ncube said firefighting infrastructure had been one of the key components of the modernisation project.
“So we have a competent firefighting team at the border. We have dealt with the technical issues noted last time to ensure they fit into international standards,” he said.
He credited NIFCA with helping strengthen the border’s emergency response capacity and raising awareness among stakeholders.
“We believe their presence will build awareness of fire issues, for instance, how to raise an alarm, how to tackle fires and how to respond to emergencies,” he said.
Mr Ncube said infrastructure alone was not enough and that the border also required competent personnel and effective response systems.
He said 20 fire-control marshals, drawn from Zimborders staff and other border agencies, had been trained this year.
“We intend to grow the numbers. We appreciate the presence of a number of fire officers from across the country. This is an eye-opener,” said Mr Ncube.
In a statement, NIFCA said various issues relating to fire prevention, response and firefighting were discussed during the benchmarking exercise, with its executives sharing firefighting expertise with stakeholders.
The organisation will host the National Firefighters’ Competition at Dulivhadzimu Stadium, where more than 400 firefighters are expected to compete under the theme: “From Prevention to Response: Creating safer industries and communities.”
Teams will compete in three categories and be judged on precision, accuracy and speed.
