In an effort to increase the number of vehicles and bolster services, a new heavy-duty rescue recovery vehicle has been acquired by the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue services.
The City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Dan Plato says that new additions the fleet will provide much-needed assistance to rescue efforts.
“The investment in critical infrastructure and resources, as exhibited by the Fire and Rescue Service, speaks to a caring City that is committed to public safety. It is also a testament to our appreciation for the efforts of our firefighters who work very hard to keep us safe. Not only will these investments raise the profile of our Fire and Rescue Service, which is already a cut above the rest, but it will also allow for even quicker response times which in turn mitigates the impact on people’s lives and property,” he said.
The Iveco Trakker 8×4 is equipped with a 420 horsepower engine and its primary function is to clear roads as quickly as possible after major motor vehicle accidents. Aside from its recovery function, the vehicle will be used for special rescue operations.
The use of the heavy-duty vehicle was displayed at the City Fire and Rescue Services department.
Costing just under R7.7-million, it forms part of the near R50-million investment in new vehicles and fire stations in Cape Town. Over the past 12 months four vacuum tankers, four new MAN 4×4 fire engines have been added to the fleet. The overall investment spent on vehicles for the city’s Fire and Rescue Services amounts to R17.5-million.
The Iveco Trakker is fitted with the following:
-A Fassi F660 crane which has a lift capacity of 56.8 metres and a maximum reach of 30.4 metres
-Two Walden 30 ton hydraulic winches, each with a 60 meter cable. If the 60 meter cable is used with ‘snatch blocks’, it could increase the vehicles pulling capacity to 80 tons.
-A Zacklift Z453 under lift, with a lifting capacity of 20.4 tones (retracted), 8.1 tons (extended) and a towing rating of 45.4 tons.
Currently, two new fire constructions are being built, with one being in the vicinity of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and the other in Masiphumelele. These two new structures may be operational at the end of the year.
An estimated R30-million is being spent on the finale phase of these two construction projects.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith explains the importance of the newly purchased Iveco Trakker 8×4.
“The acquisition of the rescue recovery vehicle has been some years in the making, particularly following several incidents involving trucks on the N1 that caused massive frustration for motorists and impacted heavily on the economy. In the past, we had to rely on truck owners to remove their vehicles from accident scenes or from where they had broken down. The City has also been forced to rope in private operators to do the job, often wasting hours and also at great expense. With the rescue recovery vehicle, these incidents will be dealt with far more speedily where they occur,” Smith said.
Picture: City Fire and Rescue Services, Supplied