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Crime Reporter
THE Harare City Council’s emergency services division last week attended to 33 emergency service and fire incidents around the city with no deaths being recorded during the period.

Of the 33 incidents, five were on commercial properties and six on domestic premises.

The division attended to traffic accident, and 21 fire incidents.

Harare’s chief fire officer Mr Lovemore Mafukidze said they were facing challenges in the department and they had less than half of the required fire tenders.

“We require 25 fire tenders but we are only operating with 10 or 11. We also need a minimum of 10 fire stations in the city but we are only operating with four,” he said.

The four stations are in Belvedere, Kuwadzana, Waterfalls and Greendale.

Mr Mafukidze said they had identified three more sites in Marlborough, Pomona and Park Meadowlands for fire stations and were hoping council would avail money for their construction.

Last month, council’s emergency services division received equipment worth US$14 000 from long time philantropist Mr Peter Lobel, who has previously donated nine fire tenders and an assortment of rescue equipment to the city.

He has also donated a hydraulic pump, telescopic ram and a combination cutter for vehicle entrapment rescue.

In May 2018, the Harare City Council’s fire department reported that it did not have the capacity to handle major fire incidents because of inadequate equipment and under-staffing.

The fire section has 94 vacancies, the ambulance service 74 and administration 13.