RAPULA MOATSHE
For Zanele Nkabinde, one of the 98 newly minted firefighters who completed a rigorous year-long training programme with the City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department, saving lives is more than just a job - it is a profound calling that resonates deeply with her.
She said she was proud to be a recipient of a certificate recently during a passing out parade at Lucas van den Berg Sport Field in Pretoria West, where City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya addressed them.
Moya told graduates that “firefighting is not a profession but a calling”.
“Firefighters play a critical role in our society, although many people may not fully understand the breadth of your responsibilities. As firefighters, you are often the first line of defence in times of crisis,” she said
Having spent almost half her life serving as a paramedic, since 2007, Nkabinde has always been driven by her deep-seated passion for helping others and making a meaningful difference in people's lives.
“I can say it is a calling for me because I joined the paramedic when I was 22 years and now I am 40 years old,” she said.
She said he has always harboured a passion for firefighting, and is now thrilled to have realised her dream.
As a paramedic, she has often collaborated with firefighters on emergency scenes, witnessing first-hand their bravery and skill in rescuing patients from precarious situations, such as extracting them from wrecked cars.
“But we, as paramedics, were not allowed to extricate patients trapped in cars without training,” she said.
She recalled the gruelling firefighting training, which pushed her to her limits.
She had to lug heavy equipment, adhere to strict protocols, embark on 10km treks, and perform under intense stress - all while being expected to make swift, life-or-death decisions.
“I am now a firefighter and still a paramedic. While extricating the patient I can still help the patient with medical interventions like helping them to breathe and everything. I can save a patient from a burning fire building or extricate a patient from a trapped car,” she said.
Department spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni, said the intensive year-long training programme was specifically designed to equip personnel from the former Emergency Medical Operations Division, now dissolved, with the necessary skills to excel in their new roles.
“The personnel have undergone strenuous training that tested their physical strength and mental resilience. They have acquired a variety of technical skills in firefighting and other rescue operations, including the ability to treat and take care of patients in emergency situations, working as a team and remaining calm under pressure,” he said.
The graduates were the third cohort of cadets to complete their training following the dissolution of the former Emergency Medical Operations Division.
Mnguni said: “The first group consisted of 38 firefighters who successfully trained and completed their training and graduated on September 5, 2022 in a similar passing out parade, while the second group of 76 firefighters graduated on the morning of September 23, 2024.”