A team of City of Cape Town firefighters were ambushed in Crossroads last night after receiving a fake fire report.
According to the City’s Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, the team from Gugulethu Fire Station were responding to a call just before 21:00 on Tuesday (23 January) when they were ambushed by individuals.
He says the fire engine was damaged during the incident but the staff were unharmed. The motor pump was damaged and Smith says the City will now have to repair it.
“It will likely be repaired. But it will cost money we didn’t need to squander. While it is being repaired, there will be one less Fire engine to respond to 75 blazes a day on average,” he says.
Asked whether this is a new trend, Smith says these senseless attacks happen from time to time.
“While paramedics usually come under attack there have been cases like this where fire services is affected.”
He says the call about the fire was made from a payphone.
