SA’s Firefighting Heroes Welcomed Home from Canada
South African firefighting crews have been warmly welcomed back home after receiving high praise for their excellent work ethic and high-spirited ‘song and dance’ in Canada. The Working on Fire (WoF) heroes were in Alberta and British Columbia in Canada for the last month – where they helped fight multiple fires this season – as part of a […]
South African firefighting crews have been warmly welcomed back home after receiving high praise for their excellent work ethic and high-spirited ‘song and dance’ in Canada.
The Working on Fire (WoF) heroes were in Alberta and British Columbia in Canada for the last month – where they helped fight multiple fires this season – as part of a resource-sharing arrangement between Canadian and South African firefighting teams.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) lauded the team for their physical fitness, productivity, health and safety and mopping up operations…but it was their team spirit and traditional singing that won them the hearts of the nation and international media.
In a message on Facebook WoF said, “Our upbeat and always happy South African crews with their song and dance have been well received in Canada and have even appeared in the local and national media as well as on the Canadian Broadcast Corporation.
“They have set positive examples to the local and international crews on how to build strong morale and teamwork.” Watch the video below.
According to WoF managing director Llewellyn Pillay, local and international crews have begun to mimic South African strategies and and are, “like the South Africans, now also attending team meetings instead of being scattered resources as in the past.”
Once the crews, who arrived home on Friday, have spent time with their families back in South Africa, they will re-join their respective WoF teams across the country.
The 48 firefighters have expressed their joy at having been able to assist Canada with their wildfires and have described their journey as “having changed their perspectives on life in general, but they have also learned a lot whilst having been over there”, according to WoF.
This is the first time the South African team has taken part in an exercise like this in Canada, and – according to Pillay – is likely to pave the way for future co-operation between the two countries.
Watch AWESOME Video: South African Firefighters Lift Team Spirits – and SA Pride – in Canada
South African deploymentOn August 6, 2015 a group of 24 South African Type 1 sustained action firefighters, plus an agency representative, arrived in B.C. after finishing a two week deployment in Alberta. These personnel will be assisting with wildfire activity in the province. They greeted BC Wildfire Service personnel with a traditional South African song. This deployment is a unique opportunity for the Province to conduct a trial evaluation of these firefighting personnel and strengthen ties with our international partners. Costs associated with these out-of-country resources are mostly absorbed by other jurisdictions through mutual aid agreements. The 24 firefighters will be paired with a 20-person sustained action unit crew from the BC Wildfire Service and will work together in unison. This pairing will allow for one-on-one orientation, supervision and evaluation. These out-of-country personnel will be deployed for 14 days before returning to South Africa.
Posted by BC Forest Fire Info on Monday, August 10, 2015
If you cannot see the video above, please visit this page:
https://www.facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo/videos/10153406027540673/
Photos and Quotes from: Working on Fire
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Watch another video of the South Africans in Canada here: South African Firefighting crew brings cheer to Canadians in Alberta – watch here.