The orientation was held in the tranquil beauty of Gordons Camp in Glencairn which made us all feel very relaxed, perfect for a Sunday! Almost all the New Recruits attended and it went very successfully, with them enthusiastically picking up the basics. The rope work proved the trickiest session as recruits learnt to use prussic knots in order to ascend a rope into the heights of a tree and then descend via abseil. Jon Jon Emary’s wicked sense of humour oversaw this challenging test of their determination and skills. Doug Hardy also advised on getting the recruits “knotted up” and explained the use of hand tools. Kate Tindall ran the Comms and GPS session with Calvin Moore, and Pumps & Hoses was overseen by Allan Roy, Owen Leatherby and Shaun Jackson. Jo Bestic and Patrick Ryan were to be seen running all over taking part in all the activities. The new recruits got to grips pretty quickly with the hoses, with some rolled up to a level even Dennis would appreciate!

The SPS team of active members and new recruits showed the continuation of the spirit that has helped keep the VWS growing and become an effective wildfire firefightingforce in the Western Cape.

For more pictures of the day visit our Facebook Group link or our Flickr links below.

VWS Marketing

Photos by Patrick Ryan

VWS Firefighters

These initial orientation sessions have focused on showing the aspirant wildland fire fighter the skills associated with portable pump operations, hand-held GPS units, radio use and communications and knots and rope work.

Over the course of the training season (May to October) these skills will be put to the test in scenario sessions and night hikes involving all members of the unit as they spend the winter period in a rigorous training programme to ensure the new recruits are brought up to speed and the currently active members skills do no deteriorate in the off-season.

Next weekend another orientation session will be held at Newlands for those new members who have already applied to join.

If you are not already on our email lists, please email one of the following station contacts and ask to be added to the email list – that way you can be kept informed of dates and sent info.

Newlands Fire Base: John Murray at nwl.training@capefires.com

Jonkershoek Fire Base: Andrew Hagen at jnk.training@capefires.com

South Peninsula (Noordhoek) Fire Base: Allan Roy at southpeninsula@capefires.com

INFORMATION MEETINGS:

At these meetings you can hear more about the VWS and what we do, what the training involves, and what the next steps in the application process are.

South Peninsula (SPS)
• Wed 2 May, 19h00
(Phoenix Hall, Glencairn)

Newlands (NWL)
• no more meetings; CLOSING DATE 30 APRIL – APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Jonkershoek (JNK)
• no more meetings; CLOSING DATE 25 APRIL – APPLICATIONS CLOSED

MORE TRAINING INFO:

Get more information about training, as well as application forms, on our Training Page.

The prescribed burn in Silvermine presented the largest challenges and was the most difficult burn to carry out in the past month. This was not only due to the age, height and fuel load of the fynbos but also because the area was surrounded by large areas of vegetation (and if the fire sparked outside the prescribed boundaries it could have spread easily). With that in mind there was a long deliberation in the morning before the burn went ahead discussing the weather conditions. In the end, an onsite call was made to go ahead with the burn in perfect atmospheric conditions (which significantly reduced the risk). To add to this there was a large contingent of human (Volunteer Wildfire Services, Contractors and Working on Fire) and vehicle resources were on scene to assist and ensure the fire remained under control at all times. Additionally, a WoF helicopter remained on standby at Silvermine East and, while not needed during the main period of the burn, it was called on to help ensure the northern flank was safely extinguished at the end of the day.

Two VWS skid units patrolled Ou Kaapse Weg during the course of the burn to ensure the fire did not jump the main road and to ensure that the safety of passing motorists was not compromised (by smoke etc). Meanwhile, the hand crew were positioned to patrol the fire break on the eastern flank to monitor for flare ups and they dealt with a number of tiny spot fires in the un-burnt area. Working on Fire patrolled the northern flank along the jeep track, while a few contractors manned the drip torches under the strict guidance of TMNP fire bosses with the rest of the contractors manning the vehicles.

The VWS Mobile Command unit was stationed at the main Silvermine West gate to oversee the burn, mapped the fire, monitor the atmospheric conditions and direct any queries from the media.

Photo by Patrick Ryan

This was the second of the two planned burns on the slopes of Signal Hill – the first being carried out successfully the week before. A large area of old indigenous fynbos vegetation was burnt to aide with the ecological life cycle which requires fire to help with germination of new protea plants (aid the removal of the old vegetation due to age not producing seed and germination of all fynbos species found in the area). This was the reason the burn was carried out just before the end of the fire season when the plant would natural expect fire rather than during the winter rains. This makes carrying out the prescribed burn more challenging as conditions normally suit runaway fires at this time of year, however, the conditions on the day were perfect (prescribed burning is not performed if the conditions are not suitable), with very little wind. This allowed the second section to be burnt in one attempt and concludes the planned burns on Signal Hill for this year.

Once again the VWS sent a number of teams to assist TMNP. One hand crew and three ‘bakkie sakkie’ skid units were stationed on the fire line during the day to ensure the fire did not escape the intended area, and to help with mopping up activities. A second hand crew who arrived in the late afternoon relieved the VWS crew that had been on duty during the day. Working on Fire and contractor crews were also on scene the whole day with a number of those crews staying on throughout the night to ensure the line remained safe and secure. Two unimogs and five tankers backed up the hand crews. As with the previous burn on Signal Hill one helicopter was stationed at Kloofnek as a precaution, and was used late in the day just to help with securing the fire breaks once lighting up had been completed. All crews were stood down from the area on Monday 23 April and the area deemed safe. Crews are periodically still inspecting the area looking for any remaining hot spots.

The VWS Mobile Command unit was once again stationed at the scene to map the progress of the burn and act as the staging area for the day.

Photo by Justin Biggs

The area around the Noon Gun and defense force outpost at the end of Signal Hill (and the surrounding hill), has turned to mainly grass due to the fires that occur in the area each year from the degration of the vegetation in the area due to too frequent fire activity. However, the city bowl side of Signal Hill is still covered in think indigenous fynbos vegetation that used to cover the whole of Signal Hill. This vegetation had not burnt in 18 years, and needed to see fire action to promote new growth and remove the old dead fynbos material. Fynbos needs to burn every 10 – 15 years depending on the species. An additional positive of this prescribed burn is that it reduces the fire risk in the area for the next few years.

A section below Signal Hill Road that bordered on an old burn area from 2011 and the jeep tracks, was burnt out. The burn involved TMNP Contractors, VWS and Working on Fire. The VWS sent a six man hand crew, two skid units and a Mobile Command vehicle to assist at the request of TMNP. The VWS mobile Command vehicle was on scene for the course of the burn. This vehicle acted as the staging area and Incident Command Centre and the VWS Planning team mapped the fire and kept track of resources during the burn. They also assisted with traffic control and helped set up the helicopter landing zone.

The burn was started just before 09h00 and was carried out successfully. The area was completely burnt on Thursday but contractor and WoF teams stayed to monitor the area for the next few days to deal with any potential flare up and to continue mopping up the entire perimeter.

There is another section which may be burned at a later point in time and the VWS will assist if that goes ahead.

Photo courtesy of Kent Andreasen (http://kentandreasen.com/your-city-burns/)

The VWS has been assisting SANParks Table Mountain National Park suppressing fires in the Cape Peninsula since 1999 through the VWS Newlands Station, and more recent aiding CapeNature combating wildland fires through the VWS Jonkershoek Station (formed in 2009).

During this 2011/2012 fire season VWS has contributed slightly over 2300 hours of service to TMNP and Capenature. The efforts of both station has helped protect properties and the natural heritage of the beautiful Cape region.

Once again, for the third year running, the VWS assisted City of Cape Town Nature Conservation with the first day of the prescribed burn at Tygerberg Nature Reserve, with the aim of burning old fynbos to help new growth and thus biodiversity in the reserve

If you would like to contribute financially towards helping the VWS fight wild fires and protect lives, property and our natural heritage please click here.

The VWS relies on contributions for public and corporate sponsors to continue doing to great work they do, as shown in this fire season. All contributions are appreciated and go directly to helping get well training volunteer fire fighters on to the fire line.

Photo by John Murray

The grass in the Game Camp area had not burnt for considerable number of years. The purpose of the burn was an ecological one and the area will be studied to see what species are still viable in the soil.

The burn involved TMNP Contractors, VWS and Working on Fire. Later in the morning, CTFES Seasonal Firefighters arrived to assist with the mopping up operation. The VWS sent a 10 man hand crew, a skid unit and a Mobile Command vehicle to assist at the request of TMNP.

The burn was started just before 08h00 and was carried out successfully. The whole area was not completely burnt on Wednesday as the conditions later in the day became none conducive to carrying out control burning safely; however, the main section was completed safely in the morning period with the upper section of the planned burn area being burnt. Mop up operations carried on through the afternoon with the VWS withdrawing at 15h00. TMNP staff and contractors and WOF remained on scene for the rest of the afternoon and through the night.

The VWS mobile Command vehicle was on scene for the course of the burn. This vehicle acted as the staging area and Incident Command Centre and the VWS Planning team mapped the fire and kept track of resources during the burn.

There was a small area that still required burning after the burn on Wednesday. The remainder of the controlled burning took place on Monday morning, 02 April 2012. No VWS crews were required for this.

Photo by John Murray

The teams of Unimog, The Way Points and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot fought hard for dignity and the respect of their peers (and the prizes). Rounds ranged in difficulty and focus from new recruit through to fire-boss. Topics covered a variety of topics from general VWS knowledge, fire themed film, literature and music, to a picture round of “identify the VWS member wearing full PPE”.

Unfortunately there could be only one first place and after some contentious arguments of “how to extinguish a type C fire” and whether or not “the sun qualified as the longest burning fire” the eventual winners were team Unimog with a very respectable 24.5 points, in close second place was team Whiskey Tango Foxtrotand last were the The Way Points. What “The Way Points” lacked in points they made up with the extra spot prizes for being entertaining and giving us a jolly good laugh. Everyone was ultimately a winner as some awesome sponsored prizes from the Morris Family were distributed as mental fatigue set in amongst the surprisingly competitive teams.

Special thanks must be given to Darin for inspiring the event, informing the unit and for supplying the fantastic bounty, and also to those people that attended and made it such great fun.
We’d also like to say a massive thank you to Forrester’s Arms for generously sponsoring us the great venue and their continued support of the VWS!

The bar has been set at 24.5 points out of a possible maximum of 40. Think you could do better? Then put those thinking caps on, come along to the next pub quiz to be held in early March and show us just how brilliant you think you are.

(Written by Dave Ogier)

The day started at 9am with excited children trickling into the Newlands base, all geared up for their big fire fighting day. The fire-kids had eight activities to complete and once completed, they could receive their certificate and become an Honoury fire-kid for the day. Once they had received their certificates they could have a photograph with the Fire-Chief

Fire-kids, friends and family were also treated to two fire fighting displays. The VWS put on a great display along with the Working on Fire helicopter dropping water on the new recruits as an initiation into the unit.

Many thanks go to the 2000 or so people who attended our Open Day and made it such a successful event. The funds raised go straight into our operations budget to help us fight fires this season.

Download the Fire Chief photos!

All the photographs taken on the day with the Fire Chief have been loaded onto flickr. You can access these images by going to one of the following links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71013374@N08/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71013374@N08/sets/72157628385084379/
or by going to http://www.flickr.com and searching for Volunteer Wildfire Services and choosing Patrick Ryan on the right.
Once on the page the images can be downloaded.
If you have any queries please email Julie on nwl.marketing@capefires.com and she will walk you through the process.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Thanks to all our sponsors for making our day possible: Table Mountain National Parks, Associated Printing, DoseTech, Woolworths, SpecSavers, Econ-o-loo, The Jupiter Drawing Room, into the blue scuba diving centre, Wet Dreams Surf School and Surf Adventures, Camp and Climb, WastePlan, Roodebloem Studios, Standard Bank, Timeless Toys and Westerford High School.

	Associated Printing	Visit them>>
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