Following last Sunday\u2019s fire in Lambton (GCN, October 2), in which a couple\u2019s home was destroyed, residents of Eighth Avenue have inquired why the fire hydrant along this street is faulty.<\/p>\n
Matthew Baxter contacted the GCN in an attempt to get the answers he isn\u2019t getting from the Ekurhuleni Metro, despite numerous calls.<\/p>
\u201cI logged a call with the metro\u2019s call taking centre on Monday, September 28.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told the hydrant would be repaired within the next 48 hours,\u201d he said.<\/p>
Baxter claims the metro, however, did not deliver on this promise and the fire hydrant had still not been repaired when he went to check on Friday.<\/p>\n
Baxter believes there should be a maintenance plan in place to ensure that fire hydrants throughout the city are functioning properly.<\/p>\n
Ward councillor Chris Swanepoel confirmed the fire hydrant had still not been repaired on Wednesday when he went to inspect it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt appeared that the fire hydrant\u2019s closing and opening systems had not been serviced for a long time as the long spanner opening the valve was completely sheared off of the square shaft on the top of the sprocket opening valve,\u201d Swanepoel said.<\/p>\n
Swanepoel feels the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services should be responsible for testing and maintaining the hydrants.<\/p>\n
The GCN sent a query to the metro to find out who is responsible for these hydrants and what type of maintenance plan is in place to ensure that all fire hydrants are operational.<\/p>\n
The GCN also questioned why the repair had not been completed when the metro insisted the matter would be handled within 48 hours.<\/p>\n
At the time of going to press, no comment had been received from the metro.<\/p>\n
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