Fire & Flood Awareness Campaign aims to mitigate Fire & Flood Risk in Vulnerable

The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre, through the Department of Local Government, will launch the 2016 Fire and Flood Awareness Campaign on 22 January 2016.

The annual campaign, which runs over a three week period, will cover the Cape Winelands and Overberg District Municipalities.

The Campaign aims to mitigate the prevalence of fire and flood-related incidents/disasters that cause injury, loss of life, damage to property and displacement of people.

Now in its eleventh year, the campaign will visit 34 primary schools and includes a 30 minute industrial theatre production.

Anton Bredell, the Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape says the production is targeted at primary school children between grades 1 – 7 and aims to educate them on the dangers of fires, floods and other hazards such as snowfall or drought.

“Demonstrations are made on preventative measures and actions to be taken in case of these emergencies. The production also focusses on the emergency numbers to call (10177 from a landline and 112 from a cell phone).”

The play is performed in the two dominant languages of the area being visited (either Afrikaans and English or English and IsiXhosa). Learners are also asked questions throughout the production on fires and floods to test their knowledge.

Scholars will receive pamphlets on fire safety to take home and to discuss further in class. Rulers, bookmarkers, pencils and posters which contain fire and flood safety tips and the emergency number will be given to teachers to hand out to learners and to put up in their classrooms respectively.

Gerry the Giraffe, the Campaign’s official mascot, will return to entertain his audience and reiterate the message of ‘preparedness’.

In 2015, 11 489 learners from 26 different primary schools around the province attended the play.

This year’s campaign will conclude on 9 February 2016.