Toughest Firefighter Alive 2025 will be hosted by the Garden Route District Municipality in George
The 10th edition of the prestigious Toughest Firefighter Alive Southern Africa Open Championship 2025 will be hosted by the Garden Route District Municipality at the Garden Route Mall in George from Thursday, 9 to Saturday, 11 October 2025.
Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel made the official announcement at a media briefing on Friday, 16 May 2025, at the Garden Route Mall venue, accompanied by Garden Route Mall manager Rion Olivier, CFO Deon Stoffels and seven-time champion, Emile Conrad. Mayor Stroebel said it is wonderful to take hands with an organisation of this magnitude. “The TFA-SA is a platform where the physical endurance and professional skill of firefighters are tested and where the public can see these firefighters in action,” said Executive Mayor Stroebel.
GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels thanked the mall for their cooperation and said George is the perfect destination with its attractive beaches around the corner from the mall where the manager, Rion Olivier, has welcomed the competition with open arms. The go-ahead has been given for it to be held in a section of the parking area. “We are proud of the Garden Route fire team, the best in South Africa. No lives were lost over the last fire season. Our main mandate is to save lives and also as far as is possible, property.”
Mark Smith, chairperson and founder of TFA-SA and of the Firefighters for Excellence Foundation, shared the following inspiration to all firefighters, “It is encouraging to see how the TFA Competition has grown and the impact it has within the firefighting community. As it has been stated before, it takes a special person with a mind-set that is always willing to be challenged to do the gruelling TFA. As you prepare for the competition, it is a good time to reflect on one of basketball’s most successful coaches, John Wooden’s philosophy, as he valued personal development ahead of winning. Wooden recognises that “Personal excellence – the foundation for success!” The TFA Competition and any competition can be a tool to develop positive character traits through hard work and perseverance: industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, enthusiasm, self-control, alertness, initiative, intentness, condition, skill, team spirit, poise and confidence.”
“As you prepare for the competition, enjoy the journey of success. There will be high and lows, victories and defeats but always persevere and seek to develop yourself which will be the foundation of further success in whatever you do. Everything of the best: and remember being consistent in preparation is key,” said Smith.
The Garden Route Mall is the heart of retail in the region. It is the largest shopping centre along the Garden Route. Set strategically next to the N2 and close to other attractions in George, spectators and competitors will enjoy a safe space with the Outeniqua Mountains in the backdrop.
Beyond the main competition, a Mini Toughest Firefighter Challenge will also be hosted to ensure that youngsters are able to also feel the rush and excitement of the TFA competition.
To sponsor and exhibit, contact Lee Raath-Brownie at Fire and Rescue International, official media partner for Toughest Firefighter Alive South Africa.
House fire in Mayfair claims lives of four children under the age of two, Johannesburg
Four children aged two years and younger have died in a fire at a house in Mayfair, west of the Johannesburg CBD. The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) said they responded to the incident at about 11am on Monday, 19 May 2025. Spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said, “On arrival, firefighters found the house alight and started conducting firefighting operations. While conducting search and rescue operation, four bodies of young kids were recovered.”
Private jet crashed into Navy housing in San Diego; killing all six people onboard, injuring 10, US
A private jet, a Cessna Citation II, carrying a music talent agent and five others hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday, 22 May 2025 and crashed into a home in a San Diego neighbourhood, killing all the people on the flight. Six people were on board the plane, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. With the home engulfed in flames and jet fuel rolling down the streets, half a dozen vehicles ignited while residents in the neighbourhood of US Navy-owned housing were shaken awake just before 4am by the thunderous crash and subsequent explosions, injuring at least eight others on the ground. Ten homes were damaged in the crash, one of which was completely destroyed.
Multiple injuries in scholar transport collision at Lakeside Crossing near Vryheid
A collision involving a minibus transporting approximately 14 learners from Umfolozi School occurred this evening at the intersection of R33 and R34 at Lakeside Crossing near Vryheid on Sunday, 18 May 2025. KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service responded promptly to the scene where paramedics provided immediate medical attention to 17 patients in total – 11 with serious injuries and six with minor injuries.
An interview with a true American hero: Paul Hashagen
“They pay me to take care of the truck and to clean the building because you can’t pay me enough to risk my life. I was grossly underpaid.” Paul Hashagen. Sitting down with Paul Hashagen, retired FDNY firefighter and former chief of Freeport FD, was one of the most poignant interviews we’ve ever done on the show. From the terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2001 to rescuing a downed helicopter pilot in an underwater rescue, Hashagen generously shared stories of his time in the fire service, all with a beautiful spirit of humility and awe for his fellow firefighters.
Source: Reconnecting Roots
Tshwane Emergency Services manages to save one of two transformers from fire at Valhalla substation
Tshwane Emergency Services responded to Valhalla substation fire on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, at 06h26am in the morning. Tebogo Maake, acting public information and liaison officer, said, “The Emergency Services Control Centre dispatched two fire engines, a ladder truck, foam tender truck, water tanker and 20 firefighters from Centurion, Heuweloord and Central Fire Stations.”
More than 30 fire engines battle major fire poly film storage facility, India
A fire that broke out at Jindal Poly Films’ storage facility in Igatpuri’s Mundhegaon village in India at 01h30am on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, was not completely suppressed by Thursday evening. As a safety measure, the Nashik district authorities have ordered evacuation within a 1km radius of the incident spot. Nine fire engines were on scene battling the fire without success. Authorities summoned 16 additional fire engines from various jurisdictions, including Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune and Thane districts on Wednesday night. The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which initially deployed three fire engines, sent four more to assist in controlling the situation.
Capetonian duo take on gruelling mountain bike race to support sick children
One thing South Africans will do is support one another! After seeing firsthand the compassionate and free care that chronically ill young patients receive at St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, Regan Bagley and Jermaine Carelse were moved to get out of their comfort zone and give back to the worthy charity, which works so hard to give children hope that they can thrive beyond hospital walls.
Devon Air Ambulance announces official launch of IMPACT Centre to tackle road injury, UK
A research and innovation centre whose aim is to reduce road deaths and serious injuries will be officially launched next month on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, at an event that brings together experts in road safety, research and emergency care in Devon in the UK. IMPACT is the Centre for Post-Collision Research, Innovation and Translation, which started its work in September 2024. This event will mark its formal launch in Devon, bringing together the research and insights that have been developed so far and looking at how it can be used to reduce road collisions and the resulting injuries and fatalities.
Rescue teams respond to structural collapse in Randfontein, Gauteng
A late afternoon call from Gauteng EMS set the SARZA Gauteng members scrambling to Randfontein, as reports were received of a building collapse with entrapments. From across the province, our volunteers mobilised swiftly, converging with EMS, Disaster Management, Fire and Rescue and SAPS K9 Search and Rescue to secure the scene and begin the sombre task of searching for survivors.
How ambulance tricycles are saving lives in rural Ghana
Access to ambulances is severely limited in parts of Ghana, something that can be especially hazardous for pregnant women trying to get to the nearest hospital. Now, a new startup aims to transform maternal health care in the country with a unique emergency vehicle tailored to the local terrain. Along the rolling hills of northern Ghana, a vehicle zoomed by in the darkness on a dirt road one recent evening. Sirens wailed, announcing to passersby that there was an emergency. It sounded like an ambulance but it was something different entirely.
Featured FRI Magazine article: The assessor approach 360° at the World Rescue Organisation by Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: The assessor approach 360° at the World Rescue Organisation written by Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman of SAMRO (FRI Vol 3 no 5). 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: Greensboro Fire Station 7, North Carolina, US
Established in 1958, Greensboro Fire Station 7 began as a humble brick establishment spread over 8 784-square-foot, well-equipped to house two fire trucks and furnished with essential amenities like offices, sleeping quarters, restrooms and storage areas. Today, this two-storey structure has evolved into a sophisticated, 17 000 square-foot building, backed by a robust telecom/data infrastructure, CCTV, A/V capabilities, security systems and environmentally-friendly solar panels. Consistently recording the highest number of incident responses among the 26 stations in Greensboro, the newly designed Fire Station 7 serves as a reliable home to both fire and EMS facilities.
Technology: Autonomous drone swarms for forest fire fighting
The devastating forest fires in Los Angeles have once again highlighted the urgency of efficient firefighting methods. A new idea now comes from Germany. The increasing intensity of wildfires worldwide poses major challenges for fire departments and disaster relief. Traditional firefighting methods with manned aircraft and helicopters are dangerous and often inefficient. The Aider research project at Munich University of Applied Sciences has therefore developed an autonomous solution: swarms of unmanned ultralight helicopters are set to specifically combat wildfires in the future, around the clock and without endangering emergency personnel.
Fitness: Firefighter workout: full body club workout
Full body club workout: Six exercise circuit, four rounds, for time.
This firefighter survival training teaches firefighters how to use a hasty harness to quickly rescue injured firefighters without needing a full rapid intervention team response. When Things Go Bad, Inc instructor, Paul Capo takes firefighters through step-by-step instruction on the halo hasty harness application at the CSFFA Fire College 2023 in Gunnison, CO
Source: Fire Spotlight
Vintage: “Firehouse” 1991 FDNY Part 1
Shot in 1991, narrated by John Walsh riding with FDNY Rescue Co-1 featuring some Brothers no longer with us (9/11). RIP.
Source: R1 SmokeEater
Inspiration: Quote of the week
Just for fun
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