Filling the service gap

COLLAPSE: RESIDENTS HAVE A TANGIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO MUNICIPAL FIRE ENGINES

- Moneyweb

The inability of the city of Johannesburg to respond to fires is widely known. The official line is that the city has between three and 16 fire trucks, but many (most) of these are out of service at any given time.

One insider says that it has no more than five working fire engines at present. Given that Joburg is a city of six million residents, it should have 90. The consequences are dire. Residential and commercial properties are being destroyed, with often only the private sector able to step in to assist.

Discovery (as is often the case) moved first with its 2022 launch of its Fire Force service, in conjunction with Advanced Emergency Management Services. This was positioned as a "value-added benefit primarily to Discovery Insure clients whose vehicle, home or business may be impacted by fire" across the majority of the Joburg metro area.