Three Cape Town firefighters partake in the 10th Grandad’s Army Memorial Ride; From East London to Cape Town
City of Cape Town firefighters Jermaine Carelse, Llewellyn Lackay and Dino Levendall, once again took part in this year’s Grandad’s Army Memorial Ride, which is a cycle event from East London to Cape Town. The 2025 event finished on Thursday, 6 March 2025 as 42 cyclists reached Cape Town, cycling into Gordon’s Bay along the picturesque Clarence Drive.
It was Carelse’s fifth time, Lackay’s third time and Levendall’s seventh time participating in this extraordinary event.
The five-day cycle challenge gathered cyclists of diverse ages and walks of life, all to raise funds for a greater cause – the Eyabantwana Trust. On it’s 10th anniversary in March 2025, the event raised R550 000 for children’s health!
Honouring the founders who paved the way for Eyabantwana Trust’s flagship fundraising event The Grandad’s Army Memorial Ride is more than just a cycling event; it is a journey of passion, perseverance and purpose. We take a moment to honour the six original cyclists who laid the foundation for what has become the flagship fundraising event for the Eyabantwana Trust.
The beginning of a legacy According to Colin Lazarus, founder of the Eyabantwana Trust, paediatric surgeon and one of the original cyclists, the ride was started as an effort to raise funds for the newly established NPO, with an initial goal of R70 000. The group of cyclists were friends and retired runners looking to take on a new challenge in cycling. Tragically, one of the six, Rob Burton, was killed while riding his bicycle on the road before their departure to Cape Town.
In tribute to their fallen friend, the first ride was named the Rob Burton Memorial Ride. As the years passed and more cyclists were lost, the event evolved into the Grandad’s Army Memorial Ride, symbolising a broader tribute to those dedicated to the Eyabantwana Trust’s mission.
Quote of the week “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” ~ General Colin Powell
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Two-year-old among 10 killed in bus and truck crash on N6 in Free State; drivers survived
During the early hours of Wednesday, 5 March 2025, a serious accident between a bus and a heavy commercial vehicle occurred in the Southern Free State. Braam van Zyl, divisional officer, Mangaung Fire Department, said, “A bus with 33 passengers was travelling from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape, collided with a heavy-duty truck on route from Eastern Cape to Winburg. The side on side collision took place approximately 03h47 on the N6 between Reddersburg and Smithfield, about 75 km south of Bloemfontein.” Lukas J Basson, district manager at Xhariep EMS, said, “I got a call from Smithfield SAPS about a head-on collision between a bus and a truck. When I arrived on the scene, emergency care and rescue people were already on the scene. In my 40 years in service, this was one of the most horrific accidents that I have attended due to the impact and force, passengers were pressed between seats. The rescue operation was very difficult due to the impact.”
Inside the Plainfield Mega-Warehouse Fire: critical lessons for firefighters, US
The 2024 Mega-Warehouse Fire Incident Report, conducted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, provides a comprehensive analysis of the devastating blaze that occurred at a mega-warehouse facility in Plainfield, Indiana, on 15 March 2022. The fire, which led to over $500 million in property loss, underscores the challenges and risks associated with mega-warehouses. Despite advanced fire protection systems and a robust response from the Plainfield Fire Territory (PFT), the incident resulted in the destruction of the facility. The report aims to provide critical lessons and recommendations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Deadly bus accident in Ekurhuleni claims the lives of 12 on scene, four more died in hospital
The City of Ekurhuleni has moved swiftly to confirm details and facts concerning the tragic bus crash on the R21 Northbound, near the R24 split close to the OR Tambo International Airport, in the early hours of Tuesday, 11 March 2025. The incident, which occurred at approximately 06h32am, involved a city-owned passenger bus and an unidentified light motor vehicle. Emergency services were dispatched promptly and an Incident Command Post was established to manage the scene.
Major fire at nightclub kills 59 people, 196 injured, North Macedonia
On Sunday, 16 March 2025, a fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia, killed at least 59 people. According to interior minister Panče Toškovski, the cause was pyrotechnics. The fire injured 196 people and many people were hospitalized in Kočani and other cities, domestically and abroad. It is the deadliest nightclub fire in Europe since the 2015 Bucharest nightclub fire and the deadliest fire in North Macedonia’s history.
Truck transporting four elephants overturns on Olifantskop Pass in Eastern Cape
The Olifantskop Pass in the Eastern Cape was closed for most of Wednesday, 5 March 2025, while authorities worked on a plan to load four elephants on to another vehicle after the truck in which they were being transported overturned. The animals were loaded on to the truck at the Addo Elephant National Park early on Wednesday morning, en route to the Samara Private Game Reserve near Graaff-Reinet. At around 13h00, the truck overturned on the Olifantskop Pass.
Large scale fire in a magnesium factory triggered explosions in Blue Island, Illinois, US
A large fire broke out late Wednesday night, 5 March 2025, at a magnesium manufacturing plant in Blue Island, in the outskirts of Illinois in the US, causing explosions and a hazardous materials response. The Chicago Magnesium plant manufactures aircraft components ie castings for helicopters, jet fighters, jumbo transports and regional jets for both commercial and military. Fire crews were called to the facility according to Chief Jeff Cook of the Posen Fire Department. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered intense fire through the roof. The location of the fire at the rear of the building, near railroad tracks, complicated access for emergency responders.
City of Tshwane firefighters successfully rescue a donkey from a septic tank pit
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department responded to an animal-rescue call on the afternoon of Wednesday, 12 March 2025, on Graceland Drive in Bashewa, in Pretoria East. Lindsay Mnguni, acting public information and media liaison officer at the City of Tshwane Emergency Services, said, “The animal-rescue incident was reported to our Emergency Communication Centre at about 16h54 and firefighting resources were immediately dispatched from Erasmuskloof Fire Station and Innesdale Fire Station to the scene. These included a fire truck, a water tanker and a rope rescue unit.”
Container ship hits oil tanker off the coast of England
On 10 March 2025, the container ship MV Solong collided with the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which was at anchor in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire, England. The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea. Solong, a Portuguese ship flagged out of Madeira, was carrying alcohol but was also initially thought to have been carrying sodium cyanide. The US-registered Stena Immaculate was carrying aviation fuel on a charter for the United States Air Force (USAF); both ships also had a supply of heavy fuel for their own use. Following several explosions, both vessels caught fire and were abandoned. They remained entangled for the rest of the day, when they separated. Solong began to drift. Thirty-six people were rescued, with one hospitalised, and one missing, presumed dead.
Tragic fire claims lives of two Phoenix siblings after cell phone explosion, KwaZulu-Natal
Two Phoenix siblings were killed after a cell phone allegedly exploded on the sofa while it was charging. The brother and sister, both in their 30s, from Charclay in Clayfield, died after they became entrapped in their bedroom and bathroom early morning, 9 March 2025. Gareth Naidoo, the head of KZN VIP Security and Emergency Services, said they were alerted to the fire around 6am.
London Fire Brigade firefighters train Malawians to prepare for floods
Three firefighters from the London Fire Brigade have helped train first responders in Malawi how to be better prepared to tackle flood emergencies. The trio’s deployment comes after Tropical Storm Freddy ripped through southern Africa, killing hundreds of people, two years ago. About 60 Malawian delegates spent a fortnight learning skills, including how to treat people who have been in the water for a long time, search and rescue response coordination and how to perform water rescues from a power boat.
Featured FRI Magazine article: Building resilience against wildfires in rural areas by Malcolm Procter
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Building resilience against wildfires in rural areas written by Malcolm Procter (FRI Vol 3 no 4). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Fire stations of the world: A unified approach to emergency services: The Redditch Police and Fire Hub, UK
In January 2025, the new, state-of-the-art joint police and fire station opened in Redditch, located on Middlehouse Lane, providing a modern and efficient facility for West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. Designed with efficiency, sustainability and collaboration at its core, the Redditch Police and Fire Hub incorporates modern facilities and sustainable solutions to enhance operational effectiveness while minimising environmental impact. Fire crews cover the 31 districts of the town with its population of approximately 90 000.
Technology: Chilean technology was key in the national tsunami drill in Ecuador
The activity aimed to assess the response capability of the citizens in the face of a potential natural disaster on the coast.
Fitness: How to train like a firefighter – 20 minute bodyweight workout
20 minutes. Nothing but a chin-up bar and your body’s own weight. Welcome to the Firefighter Scorcher.
Source: GOVX
Training: Vent-isolate-search (VIS) multi floor
The crews of Sierra Vista Fire and Medical Services are constantly training to improve their skills for search and rescue. The technique vent, isolate, search (VIS) is demonstrated here with an emphasis on multi-storey rescues. Vent: Firefighters will first make access to a building or room. Isolate: They will then proceed to shut any open immediate doors to the room. These open doors allow oxygen-rich air to enter the room, which can introduce smoke or increase the rate of fire spread, which is something we do not want to happen. These isolated rooms now can offer a safer and more hospitable area that is often survivable in a structure fire due to the physical barrier of the door. Search: The firefighter will then thoroughly inspect the room for any victims and rescue if needed.
Source: Sierra Vista Fire Training
Vintage: Women on the frontline of the ambulance service – a history of saving lives, UK
The untold stories of women who risked their lives to save others have been uncovered as London Ambulance Service marks International Women’s Day. Newly discovered photographs and records held by the Service show the extraordinary contribution of women over the last hundred years and beyond. They include Ann Armitage and Betty Leverton who served in the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service during World War II. With German planes dropping hundreds of bombs on the densely populated East End and its docks, the pair were sent to help. Their ambulance was one of just three that was able to get through intense fires started by incendiary bombs.
Inspiration: Quote of the week
Just for fun
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