New fire station for Tutaleni – Walvis Bay

Floris Steenkamp

Walvis Bay mayor Alderman Immanuel Wilfried confirmed on Tuesday night that a satellite fire station is in the planning for Kuisebmond’s Tutaleni area.

Tutaleni has the highest shack fire incidences and by moving the fire brigade’s services closer to the area would shorten the response period in the event of shack fires.
Volunteers will be recruited from members of the Tutaleni community to man this fire station along with existing fireman from the Walvis Bay fire brigade.
Alderman Wilfried made this announcements in his address at the monthly town council meeting. He explained to the audience shacks are constructed of highly combustible materials like carton and wood. Fires spread rapidly and is seldom confined to only one house. Illegal electricity connections to these houses are also the main cause of shack fires or where people forget to put out open flames like gas stoves, lanterns and candles when leaving the shack.
Alderman Wilfried further said it is inevitable that the shack problem can only be at and end once proper and enough formal housing are provided to all Namibians. In the meantime, he said, it does not mean proper steps are not taken to protect shack dwellers from the horrors of fire by for instance moving fire fighting services closer to these communities to assist in time of peril.