Managing wildfires

As in an increasing number of countries, wildfireLauffeuer, Flächenbrandwildfires are not unusual in South Africa. Dean Ferreira is the owner and manager of NCC Environmental Services, based in Cape TownKapstadtCape Town, and a founding memberGründungsmitgliedfounding member of the International Wildfire Alliance (IWA). With a background in nature conservationNaturschutznature conservation, Ferreira has spent nearly 40 years working in fire management and seen how important firefighting has become as the world warms up. Ferreira sends his team members around the world to train other firefighters in various countries, at no costunentgeltlichat no cost. 

What did your training involve?

We’ve been trained in the American system ICS (Incident Command SystemEinsatzleitsystemIncident Command System), which was created in the USA and used during 9/11 and the Super Bowl. It is a coherent resource-management system that’s understood across languages.

What are the main challenges in your work?

We write reports after every fire we go to. The number-one issuehier: Problemissue is always communication, whether it’s people not following the chain of commandBefehlskettechain of command or issues like deadhier: leerdead batteries or a lack of transmission towerSendemasttransmission towers. When we get to a sitehier: Einsatzortsite, the first thing we look at are “LACES” (lookouthier: Beobachtungspostenlookout, awareness, communication, escape routeFluchtwegescape route, safety zone). You always have to apply sth.etw. anwendenapply LACES to avoid mistakes.

How is firefighting different in South Africa?

We don’t have the luxury of water where we go. We are hand-crews, using (fire) flapperFeuerklatscheflappers or (fire) beaterFeuerpatschebeaters, and we beat or cut the flames out using tools or chainsawKettensägechainsaws. We also carry small drones to give us situational awareness.

In Germany, and many other countries, they rely on sth.hier: auf etw. setzenrely a lot on fighting fires with water, not by hand. That will change when the landscapeLandschaftlandscape starts drying out with climate change, which we’ve started to see already. You can’t just send bulldozers and wait for the fire to come to you. In South Africa, we put tanks on the back of our pick-up trucks or large tankerhier: Tankfahrzeugtankers that are designed for wildland. We also use firefighting knapsack (US)hier: Rucksackknapsacks, which are small tanks you carry on your back.

How is technology used in your work?

We use HeliTech (helicopter technology) to drop water and get crews on the ground quicker. We want to use drones more to call radios and bring food, but we don’t have sth. in placeüber etw. verfügen, etw. eingerichtet habenhave that in place yet.

Which life skills have you learned from firefighting?

Communication, conflict resolutionKonfliktlösungconflict resolution, getting people to work together and maintainhier: bleibenmaintaining calm in a high-adrenaline situation. And that it’s good to share your mistakes — it could save a life. It’s that old sayinghier: Spruchsaying: “What can an old firefighter teach a new firefighter? To become an old firefighter.”

INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRE ALLIANCE (IWA)

The IWA is a non-profit organization that shares knowledge about fire management globally. Specialists combine knowledge of technology, field experience and science-based strategies to fight wildfires.