Emergency Management Services Public Education and Training section, Johannesburg,
and Durban Fire Brigade, in co-operation with Children of Fire

INTRODUCTION

The extent of the fire problem in squatter camps
A FIRE SAFETY PLAN FOR SQUATTER CAMPS
The Chain of survival
COMMUNICATION
How to mobilise the Emergency Services.

EVACUATION

The basic principles of moving people safely, in a smoke-filled environment.

FIRE BREAKS IN SQUATTER CAMPS

How fire leaps from one structure to another;
the level of safety achieved by a 3 metre gap between shacks;
the problem of combustible material left on shack roofs and between shacks.

FIRE DRILL IN SQUATTER CAMPS

Fire drill in a squatter camp?
Safe meeting points and penalties for looting?
Identifying the weakest members of the community (old and frail; disabled; infants; other children.)

CHEMISTRY AND COMBUSTION

The concept of fire and the definition of combustion.
How to extinguish fire and how fire spreads.
The collapse of the triangle of combustion by applying extinguishing principles.

CLASSIFICATION OF FIRES

The South African Bureau of Standards' classification of fires.
The various combustible substances found under each category.
The principles employed in extinguishing each class of fire.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Fire extinguisher suitability and fire classification.
How a fire extinguisher is made and used.
Explanation of each type of fire extinguisher.
Servicing of fire extinguisher by agent.

FIRE PREVENTION

The concepts of fire prevention methods.
The principles of routine safety checks.

FIRE TEAMS

The formation of fire teams and their responsibilities.

SPECIAL TYPES OF FIRE RISKS

(Where and how are large quantities of paraffin stored in the squatter camp? What is the legal situation regarding the storage and sale of paraffin?)
Fires in closed containers.
Flammable liquid fires.
Liquid petroleum gas fires.

ACTS OF VIOLENCE

(One third of all burn injuries in South Africa are caused intentionally by one human to another or to themselves - what solutions are there to this problem?)
How to deal with bomb threats by telephone.
Searching for and finding of a suspicious article.
Dealing with explosions.

PRACTICAL FIREFIGHTING

Moving through a smoke-filled building.
The use of water type and dry chemical powder extinguishers on a fire.
Extinguishing a liquid petroleum gas cylinder on fire without the use of an extinguisher.

TEACHING FIRE SAFETY FUNDAMENTALS TO THE COMMUNITY

Educating other members of the community in fire safety behaviour and early action in an emergency.
Maintaining fire safety awareness within the community.

VIEWING MATERIAL

Selected video material will be shown to students to improve their knowledge and skills.

CERTIFICATES

Certificates will only be issued to students who have successfully completed the three day course, practical and theoretical. Certificates will not be issued on the course days but will be forwarded to the students at a later stage through the charity Children of Fire.

REGISTRATION

All registration forms must normally be faxed to the Emergency Services before the course.

For more details contact Bronwen Jones or Nancy Kluth, Children of Fire, Tel 011 726 6529 or Tel/ Fax 011 482 4258 or Thomas Ranamane, National Head of the UMashesha volunteers 082 692 2590.

The first course was held in April 2000. It has been run many times since then with residents of the Joe Slovo squatter camp, Coronationville; the community at Diepsloot; and residents of several different Alexandra township squatter camps. Trainees should have a minimum of Grade 7 education, be competent in reading, writing and understanding English, and be committed to helping others.