07 Apr 2016

 President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, yesterday, witnessed demonstration of how the newly purchased Department of Forestry and Range Resources’ fire trucks operate.

Speaking in an interview after the demonstration, the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama said the 11 troop carrier fire trucks, worth P7 million in total, would be used to transport fire fighters to fire scenes and also to suppress fire.

The seven tonne vehicles, he said, had capacity to carry about 2 500 litres of water and 16 passengers plus the driver.  

Minister Khama said the trucks would be handed over to regional stations, established from the grouped 10 administrative districts, being; Kasane, Chobe, Ghanzi, Palapye and Mokojwane.

These regional stations, he said, would be the starting base, with each getting two or three vehicles, adding that the ministry intended to purchase more of these vehicles, in order to have at least 15 or 16.

OTT Technologies marketing manager, Mr Anton Van Rensburg, said the fire trucks were the first concept ever supplied to a customer or end user.

“We compiled this project by defining the requirements of the user. So, we went through different phases. We started off with a concept- engineering design concept on the drawing and then we had several meetings with the users or the owners of the vehicles.

It’s a specially designed and engineered vehicle. It’s a special 4 by 4 vehicle, designed for specific on road and off road application. Not only off road application. In other words, you will be able to go through the bush, you will also be able to enter areas where there are no roads, so you will go through that,” he explained.

The main purpose of these vehicles, he said, was to put fire men in a position to act very quickly, to get on the fire and to fight the fire.  “It’s a multi-purpose vehicle, because it carries the firefighting crew with fire beaters and water. And you have the support of the vehicle itself, as it drops water from underneath and the wheels, as it drives through the fire  to protect itself from burning,” he said. ENDS