Knowledge comes from experience and Weskus Distrik’s Chief Fire Officer Bertus Senekal has plenty of both.
Experience and knowledge.
Bertus has a 30-year track record of fighting fires and has experience in Structural Fire Fighting, Wildland Fire Fighting, Hazmat, Rescue, Training and Fire Safety. He has a National Diploma in Fire Fighting, IC Type 2, and National Commander qualifications.
He is also the Chairperson of the Greater Cedarberg Fire Protection Association, Deputy Chair of the Western Cape Fire Safety Workgroup, and Deputy Chair of the Western Cape Provincial Fire Workgroup.
The Weskus firefighting team works closely with the Greater Cederberg Fire Protection Association, SANPARKS, Cape Nature and the local Weskus municipalities.
Vast responsibility.
The firefighting team covers 32 000 sq m, serving the Saldanha Bay, Swartland, Bergrivier, Cedarberg, and Matzikama local municipalities. This vast area stretches from the boundaries of the City of Cape Town to the border of the Northern Cape.
Reaching out.
Although Weskus Distrik’s firefighting team concentrates mostly on Wildland and Chemical fires, the complete firefighting service is afforded to the Cederberg and Matzikama local municipalities which do not have their own firefighting resources.
Outside of the Weskus region, Bertus’s team assisted in the George and Knysna fires where Bertus played the role of Operation Section Chief. Other regions which benefitted in their time of need include the Overstrand, City of Cape Town, and Winelands local municipalities.
Bertus expects honesty, discipline, attitude, and principles as essential traits from his team, and one would expect nothing less from Weskus Distrik Municipality.