Fire department - Fires: Cooperation between Harz and the region in South Africa
The Harz District will closely collaborate with a region in South Africa on the topic of firefighting. This primarily involves knowledge transfer in firefighting and rescue capacities, according to a statement from the Harz District. The intention was declared with the Cape Winelands District Municipality, a region near Cape Town.
Both regions will face similar challenges in the future: Just like in the Harz region, the area in the Western Cape region in South Africa is fighting against the consequences of global climate change and its increasingly catastrophic fire events.
"We want to learn from the Harz District how the volunteer model for firefighting works," said Henry Prins, a representative from South Africa. At the core, it's about inspiring more people to participate in volunteer firefighting. In South Africa, firefighting has so far mainly been carried out by professional firefighters.
The collaboration between the Harz district and the Cape Winelands District Municipality extends beyond firefighting, also involving discussions on political strategies in managing municipalities that frequently face fires due to climate change.
Saxony-Anhalt, observing this partnership, shows interest in learning from the Harz District's experience in dealing with fires, given their shared experiences with such events.
The firefighting scenario in South Africa is set to undergo significant changes, with plans to incorporate volunteer firefighters, following inspiration drawn from the successful volunteer model in the Harz district.
Despite the Cape Town region's robust professional firefighting service, the introduction of volunteer firefighters is expected to widen the response capacity and enhance community engagement in firefighting efforts.
