Fire Brigade receives specialist training

The City of Harare last week welcomed a 16-member fire fighting team named Operation Florian UK team which is in the capital for intensive training courses for the municipality’s fire fighters.

The UK based humanitarian charity team began its two week intensive training programme on Monday last week in partnership with the City of Harare to assist and support communities in improving fire-fighting and rescue operations.

Welcoming the team at Harare Fire Station, acting town clerk Engineer Phakamile Mabhena Moyo thanked the delegation for both the training and the donation of a 20 foot container with an assortment of rescue equipment, breathing apparatus sets, protective clothing, fire-fighting equipment and training equipment.

City of Harare chief fire officer Mr Lovemore Mafukidze thanked the team for continued support to the city.

“This partnership is wonderful, our services are being recognised in the community we are serving. We have received a number of letters of appreciation. I want to thank you team and urge you to continue this good work.

“Operation Florian has helped Harare Fire Brigade with skills and we are proud that our skills are being sought all over the world. But we are disheartened that we have lost about 176 well trained firefighters who have taken up roles in the Middle East due partly to the skills received from Operation Florian,” said Mr Mafukidze.

The delegation is led by Dr Shepherd Ndlovu a senior lecturer at Lancaster University on fire-fighting.

Dr Ndlovu said that they have been working with the City of Harare since 2011 and this is the sixth phase of intensive training being held in Harare.

Operation Florian UK will be running training courses in the city in community fire safety, technical fire safety and the training consists of theoretical and practical sessions. The focus of the training will be on breathing apparatus, road traffic collisions and developing strategic skills with senior managers. — City of Harare