Rise of the phoenix vision 2030 Roland Hendricks

Draft Proposal by RG Hendricks – Director Provincial Fire & Rescue Services Unit
GAUTENG PROVINCIAL FIRE
& RESCUE SERVICES VISION
2030 -
“Rise of the PHOENIX”

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Contents
A. ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................. II
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................1
2. GAUTENG CITY REGION – THE GLOBAL CITY....................................................................................................3
2.1 The problem statement .............................................................................................................................................3
3. SIX CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE GCR AS A RESULT OF URBANIZATION.........6
4. GAUTENG PROVINCIAL FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES AS A GLOBAL LEADER...........................................................7
4.1 The Changing environment............................................................................................................................................7
3. P: F&RS ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE, VALUES AND OBLIGATIONS ................................................................11
3.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................12
3.2 Vision and Mission ...................................................................................................................................................12
3.3 Core Values ..............................................................................................................................................................12
3.4 Our Strategic Goals ..................................................................................................................................................13
3.5 Our Strategic Objectives ..........................................................................................................................................13
3.6 Key strategic challenges...........................................................................................................................................14
4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK.............................................................................................................................16
4.1 Strategic Goal 1: Effective Coordination and Support of Fire & Rescue Services....................................................16
4.2 Strategic Goal 2: Safer Communities .......................................................................................................................16
4.3 Strategic Goal 3: Promote a culture of pre-planning and risk avoidance................................................................16
4.4 Strategic Goal 4: Capacity Building and professional development........................................................................16
5. STRATEGIC ELEMENTS..................................................................................................................................17
5.1 Strategic Element 1: Stakeholder engagements and collaborations.......................................................................18
5.2 Strategic Element 2: Institutionalization of coordination and support mechanisms..............................................19
5.3 Strategic Element 3: Financial support and resource resourcing............................................................................19
6. GENERAL CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................20
6.1 Adapting to limited predictability............................................................................................................................20
6.2 Response and recovery............................................................................................................................................21
6.3 New roles for government actors............................................................................................................................21
6.4 Exploring new technologies.....................................................................................................................................22
6.5 Targeting vulnerable communities ..........................................................................................................................22
6.6 Thinking beyond borders.........................................................................................................................................23

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A. ACRONYMS
CERT - Community Emergency Response Teams
CoGTA - Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Gauteng)
EMS - Emergency Management Services
EPWP - Expanded Public Works Programme
ESKOM - Electricity Supply Commission
GCR - Gauteng City Region
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
FBSA - Fire Brigade Services Act No 99 of 1987
KZN - KwaZulu Natal
NGO - Non-governmental Organization
PDMC - Provincial Disaster Management Centre
PIER - Public Information, Education and Relations
PIER WG - Public Information, Education and Relations Work Group
P: F&RS - Provincial Fire & Rescue Services (Gauteng Province)
SANDF - South African National Defence Force
SAPS - South African Police Service
UNFPA - The United Nations Population Fund

GAUTENG PROVINCIAL FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES VISION 2030 -
“RISE OF THE PHOENIX”
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1. INTRODUCTION
The Provincial Fire & Rescue Services (P: F&RS)
initiated a strategic planning process in 2015 in
order to develop a strategic plan for the
development and improvement of Fire &
Rescue Services within the Gauteng City
Region for the period 2015-2019.
In doing so it also aligned its Strategic Plan with
the Foundation and Stabilization Phase (2014-
2019) of the Department’s Repositioning
Strategy within the Gauteng City Region.
During that period, an improved
organizational structure was developed to
assist with the implementation of its strategy
moving beyond 2014.
We have since reached a critical juncture
where we need to reflect on our collective
achievements, and find solutions to address
current and future challenges, in order to
further strengthen regional capacity in
reducing fires and subsequent losses and to
strengthen our collective response to fires and
non-fire emergencies.
During the period January – March 2016, the
unit embarked on a process to review its
strategic plan and to further align it to the
Department’s Repositioning Strategy within
the Gauteng City Region 2030.
During this process it was determined that an
overall Strategic Vision is required which
would be aimed at establishing a world class
Fire & Rescue Service by 2030.
It was decided to call this document “Rise of
the Phoenix”, named after a bird from Greek
methodology who in historical record could
symbolize renewal in general as well as
resurrection, the sun, and according the
methodology a phoenix obtains new life by arising
from the ashes of its predecessor.
We see this vision as a new birth, a new direction as
well as a process of rising from the past and
refocusing on the future.
The P: F&RS recognized that a strategic planning
process was particularly important during these
economic times, since difficult choices had to be
made to ensure that limited financial resources
would be used most effectively.
Through the strategic planning process the P: F&RS
has been able to assess its organizational structure,
create a blue print for the future and develop a plan
to accomplish the new direction and goals.
Phoenix is born from the premise we face the clear
and present reality of wall-to-wall metropolitan
system of government by 2030, meaning that the P:
F&RS will need to reposition itself in order to ensure
that it remains relevant and would continue to drive
coordination and collaboration within Fire & Rescue
Services within Gauteng.
Phoenix charts the strategic direction that Fire &
Rescue Services within the Province needs to
embark on in the next few years, and identifies the
key areas to move the implementation of the vision
forward to a people-centered, people-oriented,
financially sustainable Fire & Rescue Service by
2030. Phoenix provides us with a clear direction,
priorities, and focus; the challenge now is to move
forward with the implementation phase of the
process, using it as a guide to assist in making

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informed decisions which are necessary
during these financially challenging times.
Our intent throughout implementation is to
foster a resilient organization that is both
flexible in approach and accountable in
execution.
Thus, we need to ensure that there are
mechanisms to enable protection and
assistance for all especially those most
vulnerable.
Through partnerships, the P: F&RS should
actively engage the other sectors outside of
government but not limited to: NGOs, the
private and public sectors, big business etc.,
to leverage their capabilities. In addressing
the needs of the future Fire & Rescue
Services landscape, a collaborative effort by
all parties is needed to provide for the most
comprehensive and holistic response to all
those affected.
The P: F&RS will be required to continue to
ensure coherence of policy frameworks,
strategies and approaches that link the
safety of communities under an overarching
frame of Sustainable Development Goals.
This includes consideration of the Fire
Brigade Services Act and regulations, as well
as other relevant legislation such as the Fire
& Rescue Services White paper which aims
to contribute to adaptive and safer
communities. Such linkage will ensure P:
F&RS efforts to be more efficient in dealing
with risks and vulnerabilities in ways that
promote a more integrated framework.
Furthermore, Phoenix will need to be linked
to the integration efforts of global cities and
underpinned by the Provincial administration which
aims for a deeply integrated and highly-cohesive
City Region 2030.
Globalization is connecting cities like never before.
Such connectivity yields benefits for the inhabitants
of large urban areas, but also brings challenges for
city officials to manage the delivery of critical ser-
vices, which are increasingly distributed, and non-
geographic in nature (internet, telecommunications,
energy provision, etc.).
In the context of safety within cities, globalization
may present a double-edged sword for city
managers and inhabitants alike. On the one hand,
the characteristics of the modern city, like high
population concentrations, places of assembly,
compact architectural structures, and complex,
interconnected infrastructure systems might
increase the vulnerability of the city to major fires
and other disruptive incidents.
On the other hand, most urban environments offer
considerable strengths in terms of economic
production and distribution, human resources, civil
society and the availability of services, which can all
be used to significantly reduce disaster risk and
vulnerability.
Urban security is a growing issue in the world’s cit-
ies, both because the global population is already
predominantly located in cities, and because the
continued growth of urban populations will increase
the ultimate consequences of disruptive incidents
that might affect cities in the future.
The Gauteng City region is faced with exactly the
same problem. The combination of population
growth, the nature of technical systems within the
GCR, will have significant implications for the
vulnerability of communities within the GCR.

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Therefore, developing appropriate mecha-
nisms to prevent, plan for and manage fires
and other disruptive events in the GCR will,
in the future, be a key aspect of urban
security for the GCR.
2. Gauteng City Region – The
Global City
2.1 The problem statement
1. The majority of the GCR
inhabitants live in urban areas,
and according to all prognoses,
population in cities will continue
to grow in the coming decades;
2. In the context of urban safety
management: the GCR can be
both the most secure and the
most dangerous place to be when
disruptive incidents strikes.
3. Developing appropriate
mechanisms to prepare for and
cope with complexities of the
GCR will, in the future, be a key
aspect of security policy-making.
4. The GCR should be geared to
improve the capacity to predict
new or unforeseen risk by
diversifying capabilities for risk
assessment and improving inter-
agency collaborations.
5. In addition, the GCR must adopt
new approaches to urban safety
that are sufficiently flexible to
adapt to a changing risk
environment and to safeguard
urban security.
6. GCR populations experience many chronic,
extensive risks associated with marginal living
conditions and poor service delivery, from poor
sanitation and disease to dwelling fires, seasonal
flooding and crime and violence.
7. GCR populations will increasingly face a range of
emerging risks including communal violence and
unrest, water scarcity, acid mine drainage and
food insecurity, with inevitable Climate Change
likely to drive and exacerbate many problems.
8. Given the prospect of increasing risk, there is an
urgent need to reduce the vulnerability and
increase the resilience of GCR towns and cities.
It is not enough simply to respond to and
manage the fires, we must proactively seek to
address the risk which gives rise to these fires.
9. This requires the integration of risk reduction
into planning processes, including land-use
planning and management, water resource
management, infrastructural developments and
building design and construction.
The GCR as a global city is multicultural,
geographically distinct and a dynamic place where
both the poor and rich reside. It is a structured and
organized human system, and its existence as focal
a ‘node’ in the delivery of services to the global
society places it at the center of discussion about,
disruptive incidents and the mechanisms for
avoiding or mitigating the consequences. Yet, the
GCR is also a place of both diversity and
centralization, where cross-border economic, social,
cultural and technical processes flourish.
Information, communication, energy, transpor-
tation and trading systems for instance are based on
a variety of transnational networks and infrastruc-
tures that revolve around the city. The GCR
represents the reality of accelerated globalization,
which has degraded administrative boundaries and

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facilitated the interconnectedness of urban
centers and nations in the global economy.
In the context of dealing with fires and other
disruptive incidents, there are two schools of
thought regarding the increasing complexity
of the global city, and the services they
provide. On the one hand, complexity
increases the robustness of service systems
(particularly critical infrastructures) because
increased connectivity creates redundancy,
thereby overcoming issues associated with
random faults and disruptions or targeted
attacks.
On the other hand, complexity may be a
problem for the city and its services if those
services rely on all the supporting
connections remaining constantly viable,
which may not be the case in times of
disruption or given the dynamic nature of
the global city.
Importantly, with globalization has come an
increase in the consequences of disruptive
incidents in cities, and although there are
arguments for robustness, complexity has
heightened the vulnerability of the city
system to change or disruption caused by
hazards.
Most scholars perceive the global city no
longer as a closed and self-sustaining system
that can withstand disruption
independently, but rather as an open system
that is increasingly characterized by its
external connections and
interdependencies. This open and dynamic
nature is increasingly acknowledged in fire
prevention and post-incident planning and
management, but likely requires a different
approach to deal with the outbreak of
disruptive incidents from the traditional top-down,
‘command and control’ model.
The traditional focus in dealing with prevention of
fires have been on physical systems and technical
fire prevention measures. Such prevention
mechanisms typically focused on making physical
systems resistant to consequences of fire. Such an
approach is based on the idea that communities can
use technology to control outbreak of fires and en-
sure their safety.
The underlying (traditional) planning model has
been criticized for implying a static concept of
dealing with the outbreak of fires and sees
prevention as a linear problem that can be solved in
isolation. Research in different domains suggests
that the complexity of human systems, and cities in
particular, calls for a more sustainable and inclusive
conception of ‘fire prevention’ that links technical
prevention mechanisms with building resilience and
places fire prevention in a much larger context.
Improving the resistance of technical systems to the
outbreak of fires is certainly essential as their failure
may result in damage and injury, but the focus of fire
protection research in recent years has increasingly
shifted towards the role of building awareness of
communities in reducing fire and safety risks and
responding effectively to fires and other disruptive
incidents.
The P: F&RS have been a global leader in
orchestrating the shift from technical approaches to
fire prevention, to building resilient communities
through the introduction of public awareness
campaigns and programs aimed at making
communities safer since the early 2000s. It has been
building strong networks and partnerships over the
last few years in order to further prevent and

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mitigate outbreak of fires within the
Gauteng City Region.
In many of the other global cities, attempts
are also being made to engage stakeholders
and the broader population in making
communities safer, but unlike in some other
global cities, in Gauteng it is not completely
dominated by government officials and
experts.
There has been a very deliberate attempt by
the P: F&RS over the years to involve the
broader society and not just public sector
departments. Greater community
involvement is driven through the
knowledge that in many cases the capacity
to keep everybody safe from disasters and
fires all the time, is impossible. Additionally
there is the perception that if people prepare
themselves, they can play a greater role in
mitigating the risks they face, without a
significant investment of resources from the
various spheres of government.
Many cities are exposed to hazards because
of their geographical location, while global
cities are arguably more sensitive to those
hazards because of their systemic
complexity.
The GCR for example is exposed to various
risks such as floods, dolomitic risks, informal
settlement fires, earth tremors, community
unrest and may be more sensitive because of
its globally connected nature and culturally
diverse population. For these reasons, the
GCR can be considered to be both socially
and technically one of the more vulnerable
cities in the World today.
While good governance can limit the social,
economic and technical impact caused by
these hazards, it cannot guarantee that the
City Region escapes the effects of such
incidents. A particular trend in community-
centred prevention and protection
strategies in the urban context is specific
targeting of the most vulnerable
communities.
Phoenix is built upon the premise that the
safety of our communities is paramount, and
that through building effective and stronger
partnerships, The P: F&RS is being
recognized as global leader in reducing
vulnerability in communities is a funda-
mental goal of preventing the outbreak and
occurrence of fires.

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3. Six central development challenges associated with the GCR as a result
of urbanization
The Cities Network report (August 2014) on the implications of Migration, Mobility and Urban
Vulnerabilities on Urban Governance, states that through synthesizing the challenges present in the
urban context, six central developmental challenges have been identified (see Table 1). These six
challenges help in understanding the components of vulnerability of cities; the characteristics of urban
vulnerable groups, their urban setting (location), and how urban inequalities lead to poor health
outcomes. It is argued that any attempt to improve – and sustain – the health of urban populations, a
key urban vulnerability, requires that local level policy makers and practitioners understand, engage
with, and address these challenges.
Challenge Description
1. Urban
inequalities
These are differences between rich and poor groups/places, used as a predictor
of poor population health. Urban inequalities are experienced in multiple ways,
including inequitable health outcomes.
2. Migration
Internal and cross-border migration are features of urban growth and of the
urban context. This includes those migrating in pursuit of improved livelihood
opportunities as well as individuals fleeing persecution (asylum seekers and
refugees). Many urban migrants remain connected to their household of origin
through an interlinked livelihood system.
3. Informal
settlements
Urban growth places pressure on limited appropriate and well-located housing
and land tenure opportunities. This results in increases in the numbers of
people residing informally in and on the edge of urban areas.
4. Residents
with ‘weak
rights to the
city’
Urban poor groups are increasingly consisting of migrant populations. They may
experience challenges in claiming their rights within the city. This can include
the right to access basic services, housing, health services, documentation and
employment.
5. Urban HIV
prevalence
Whilst not all developing country urban contexts experience high urban HIV
prevalence, this is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, urban
HIV prevalence is found to be double that in rural areas, and highest within
urban informal settlements. HIV provides a contextual challenge which requires
much more than a sectoral health response.
6. Fragile urban
livelihood
systems
The livelihoods of urban poor groups are determined by the context in which
they are located, and the opportunities and constraints that this context
provides. Survivalist livelihood strategies refer to individuals working within the
informal economy during a time of crisis. A period of survival is when
individuals are unable to plan far into the future, and instead spend their
energy surviving day to day.(Vearey 2008)
Table 1: South African urban contexts present six central developmental challenges
Source: (adapted from Vearey, et al. 2010); Vearey (2008); Balbo and Marconi (2005: 13)

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4. GAUTENG PROVINCIAL FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES AS A GLOBAL LEADER
4.1 The Changing environment
The P: F&RS are mindful of how the GCR will change over the coming years. We cannot be sure how
the future will look, but we are using information available to guide and inform our thinking and to test
relationships between those changes and our current understanding of the associated risks.
We are also considering the impact of predicted climate change and what action we will be taking to
respond to a changing climate. We can reasonably expect to deal with more grass and open land fires
during the summer (anticipating increased temperatures and less rainfall) and more flooding in the
winter (anticipating increased rainfall).
Gauteng City Region (GCR), with over 16 million people, is the largest and richest region in the country,
contributing appr 45% of the national Domestic Product (GDP) (Stats SA, 2011).
Rapid population growth due to in-migration, concentrated in a few locations, has resulted in strong
spatial polarisation, urban sprawl and tracts of under-utilised land between main urban centres. This
pattern of development not only reinforces existing inequalities but generates high economic and
environmental costs.
GCR places greater emphasis on joint planning,
coordination, and collaboration across
municipal borders to realise efficiency gains and
improve the performance of Gauteng’s
economy. This therefore calls for a need to
strengthen interdepartmental and inter-sphere
cooperation to realise a GCR vision of seamless
development.
The Gauteng Provincial Fire & Rescue Services
Unit is well placed to become a global leader
given its vast experience, knowledge, and
expertise in Fire & Rescue Services and emergency response by 2030. In the next 14 years, this
experience, knowledge and expertise need to be leveraged more effectively through multiple avenues
including through a comprehensive and integrated process of strategic planning.
As part of its legislative obligations the Gauteng Province have specific role and responsibilities in the
delivery of Fire & Rescue Services as outlined in chapter 6 of the Constitution, 1996. In addition to the
strategic role which is similar to that executed by national government as mentioned in the White
Paper on local Paper on Local Government, 1998 the Constitution allocates the roles to provincial
Government on Fire & Rescue Services. Fire & Rescue Services in the province must manage and
coordinate firefighting activities in support of municipalities involved in rural and urban firefighting
operations.

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The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, confers legislative powers on the various levels
of government. Schedule 4 of the Constitution lists the functional areas of concurrent national and
provincial legislative competence. Both national and provincial legislatures are empowered to
promulgate legislation on these functional areas.
The Schedule is furthermore divided into two parts. In terms of this Schedule the province has
concurrence competence to legislate matters concerning fire-fighting Services listed under Part B.
In terms of Section 156(1) of the Constitution a municipality has executive authority in respect of
matters listed in part B, which therefore includes Fire-fighting services, and has the right to administer
those matters in accordance with national and provincial legislation. Section 151(4) states that neither
the national nor provincial government may compromise or impede the ability or right of a municipality
to exercise its powers or perform its functions.
The administration of the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act No. 99 of 1987) was assigned to the
Provinces in October 1994; Sections 2 and 15 of the Fire Brigade Services Act were excluded and the
authority of these two sections lies with the Fire Brigade Services Board and Minister of Provincial and
Local Government.
The White Paper on Local Government, 1998 defines the roles and responsibilities of provincial
government as follows:
1. A strategic role – with respect to developing a vision and framework for integrated economic, social
and community development in the province through the provincial growth and development
strategy;
2. A development role – provincial governments should ensure that municipal integrated
development plans combine to form a viable development framework across the province, and are
vertically integrated with the provincial growth and development strategy;
3. An intergovernmental role – provincial government has an intergovernmental role to play with
respect to local government. It should establish forums and processes for the purpose of including
local government in decision-making processes which affect it;
4. Regulatory role – Section 155 (7) of the Constitution gives national and provincial government the
legislative and executive authority to see to the effective performance by municipalities of their
functions in respect of matters listed in Schedules 4 and 5, by regulating the exercise by
municipalities of their executive authority with respect to the local government matters listed in
Parts B of schedules 4 and 5, and any other matter assigned to local government by legislation.
Taking the above into consideration, the Department responsible for the administration of the FBSA at
a provincial level play a critical role of supporting municipalities in the optimal delivery of fire services
to communities. While it is important (as outlined in the White Paper on Local Government, 1998:81)
that provincial governments will need to tailor their approaches to supporting local government

9
according to the specific conditions which prevail in each area, the following are some key roles and
responsibilities of this sphere of government in the provision of fire services:
1. Ensure implementation of a Provincial strategic agenda for fire services;
2. Establishment of provincial oversight mechanisms;
3. Ensuring adequate linkages and alignment with existing intergovernmental structures for purposes
of advancing the objectives of the fire service;
4. Ensure provincial coordination of fire services activities in the province;
5. Establishment of institutional arrangements to support cooperation between fire services in the
province;
6. Supports implementation of a national fire services strategic framework;
7. Supports the development and implementation of a national fire safety program.
8. Monitoring and evaluation of fire services in the province
9. Establishment of intergovernmental and advisory committees to ensure stakeholder participation
in fire services activities;
10. Ensure provision of education, training, research, and capacity building for fire services;
11. Ensure the provision of annual reports to oversight structures;
12. Provision of support to fire services stakeholders on urban search and Rescue;
13. Establishment of a Fire Services Coordination unit to oversee the administration and
implementation of the fire services legislation and the performance of duties alluded to above.
As fires and major incidents affect all aspects of development, deeper cross-sectoral collaboration will
be needed by 2030 to fully implement a comprehensive Fire & Rescue Services strategy. It is essential
that these disruptive incidents are approached holistically across the GCR and coordinated through an
effective Incident Management System.
It is also further expected that P: F&RS should administer dedicated platforms for cross-sectoral and
cross-boundary collaboration to actively engage other sector departments mandated to cover,
respond to and render support to different types of risks with regional implications for the GCR.
This would allow for significant progress for us to better assess the needs and provide protection to
vulnerable communities; Furthermore, for a more robust people-centered and networked approach to
be fully operational in the next ten years, the P: F&RS should establish Provincial task forces (with
strong Provincial and National links) to better coordinate emergency responses across government
departments and to institutionalize its operations as well as to implement One GCR Response strategy.

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However, it will be important to look beyond the GCR and engage with neighboring entities such as
cities and provinces as important players in managing fires and major incidents and clarify their
involvement in this effort. This would connect government agencies and move GCR capacity towards
achieving a whole-of-government approach to deliver effective and efficient Fire & Rescue Services.
This would, in turn, facilitate greater coherent Fire & Rescue Services across all spheres of Government,
ensure the effective institutionalization of Fire & Rescue Services operations, and carve the way for P:
F&RS to be a world leader in Fire & Rescue Services by 2030.
Furthermore with a consolidated approach to Fire & Rescue Services, drawing on the strengths at
multiple levels of governance would ensure P: F&RS dominance of the sector by 2030. This would entail
greater coordination with other bodies from outside the region, positioning P: F&RS as a pioneer in
transforming the Fire & Rescue Services landscape in the GCR and beyond.
Such a position would necessitate a collaborative approach with local, national and global institutions
drawing on the trust and regional experience that the GCR offers with the broader experience of global
institutions which will ensure synergy between all stakeholders by 2030.
In addition to global institutions, it is important for P: F&RS to continue to engage and utilize existing
networks with other local and regional organizations, considering regional organizations will continue
to occupy a wider space in the Fire & Rescue Services landscape.

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3. P: F&RS Organizational Purpose, Values and Obligations
VISION 2030

12
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose, values and obligations of P: F&RS serve as a guide for all actions and decisions made by
the organization and its employees. Our goal is to use Phoenix to shape the future of P: F&RS and to
enhance our influence and credibility with our stakeholders. This section of the document depicts the
P: F&RS vision, mission, core values and guiding principles and their impact on our operational
initiatives and overall strategic plan.
3.2 Vision and Mission
Our vision is bold and aspirational. The journey of reform gives us the opportunity to build on best
practice and deliver, through our partnerships, real improvements to the health, safety and well-
being of Gauteng’s communities.
Vision: Fully established World class Fire & Rescue services within Gauteng City Region, to
ensure safer communities.
Mission: We provide coordination and support to Fire & Rescue Services partners within the
GCR.
3.3 Core Values
Our employees chart the behavior and performance for P: F&RS through BACKDRAFT:
Behaviour We behave within our code of ethics and controls which govern
conduct and performance.
Accountability We are obligated and willing to accept responsibility and to answer
for the results of our performance and conduct.
Communication We consistently share and provide access to information throughout
P: F&RS to enhance collaboration and to eliminate ambiguity,
frustration and uncertainty.
Kindness We embrace kindness and equal treatment as paramount to all human
capital and business affairs.
Drive We consider all P: F&RS members worthy of high regard and driven by
a desire to see others succeed.
Respect We consider all P: F&RS members worthy of high regard and have a
sincere desire to see others succeed.
Awareness We are aware of the obligations vested in us, and we accept
responsibility for our actions.
Fairness We strive for impartiality, equity and conformity with service delivery
standards, rules and regulations.
Trust We optimistically rely on the character, ability and strength of each
member to contribute wholeheartedly to the success of P: F&RS

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3.4 Our Strategic Goals
1. Effective and efficient Fire & Rescue Services.
2. Safer communities.
3. Promote a culture of pre-planning and risk avoidance.
4. Capacity Building and professional development.
3.5 Our Strategic Objectives
1. To ensure effective coordination and support of all Fire
& Rescue Services with the Gauteng City Region.
2. Implementation of programmes and initiatives to
improve Fire & Rescue Services response capabilities.
3. To improve the safety of communities through the
implementation of awareness campaigns and safety
educational programs.
4. To implement initiatives to contribute to capacity
building and development of expertise within the Gauteng Fire and Rescue Service.
Figure 2: P: F&RS Strategic Objectives
Figure 1: P: F&RS Strategic Goals

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3.6 Key strategic challenges
The Provincial Fire Services unit’s Vision, Mission, and Values have lead it to recognize two key requirements for
Vision 2030:
1. That the period planned for will present a number of important challenges and opportunities for the Fire
Services within the GCR;
2. That a limited number of strategic objectives are needed to focus these challenges and guide service delivery.
Strategic Challenges Relevant Strategic Objectives
Safe Communities
 Ensure safe communities through awareness
campaigns and public awareness programmes
 To improve the safety of communities through the
implementation of effective fire safety education
programs.
 To ensure effective coordination and support of all
Fire & Rescue Services with the Gauteng City Region.
Alternative service delivery models
Understand how communities will change in future and
resource for:
 Wall to wall metro system of government
 Non-fire emergencies
 Hazardous Material Incidents
 Specialist operations (e.g. Urban Search & Rescue).
 Implementation of programmes and initiatives in
support of municipalities to improve community fire
outcomes.
Social responsibilities
 Deliver, in partnership with local, provincial and
national organisations, prevention and risk reduction
services that impact on fire and non-fire
emergencies.
 Respond to the effects that changing demographic
and urbanization trends have on service delivery.
outcomes.
 To improve the safety of communities through the
implementation of effective fire safety education
programs.
Inter-governmental relations
Integrate service delivery and knowledge sharing with local
government to help meet Fire & Rescue Service needs.
 To develop and implement a marketing strategy that
articulates core messages targeted for each key Fire
& Rescue Services stakeholder.
Technology
 Increase technology driven demands, expectations
and impacts;
 Maximise emerging technology opportunities;
 Implementation of an interoperable radio
communication system that have cost effective
operational benefits.
outcomes.
Training and Development
The quality of training that personnel receive directly
influence three critical outcomes:
 The speed and efficiency that lives can be saved at
emergency incidents;
 The economic value of property lost at emergency
incidents;
 The safety of fellow emergency service personnel at
incidents.
 To implement initiatives to contribute to capacity
building and development of expertise within the
Gauteng Fire and Rescue Service.
Table 2: Strategic challenges and its relationship with strategic objectives

15
GOALS STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES
NDP TMR B2B FIRE SERVICES
WHITE PAPER
OUTCOMES IMPACT
1. Effective and
efficient Fire &
Rescue Services
1. Coordination and
support
1. Responsive,
accountable,
effective and
efficient local
government
system.
1. Transformation
of State and
Governance.
1. Good
Governance
Legal and policy
reform is
fundamental to
improve the ability
of Fire & Rescue
Services to
respond to the
changing and
growing needs of
society.
1. Reduce the
number and
severity of fire,
injuries
and deaths.
Safercommunities
2. Safer
Communities
2. Prevention 2. Modernisation
of the public
service
2. Public
Participation:
Putting People
First
Fire Services
should be
proactive in
preventing fires
and other risks,
rather than simply
reacting to fires;
2. Improved
safety, health
and well-being
of
local
communities.
3. Pre-planning 3. Response
capabilities
2. An efficient,
effective and
development
orientated
Public Service
3. Accelerating
social
transformation
4. Building Capable
Institutions and
Administrations
Fire & Rescue
Services should
have good
institutional and
administrative
capabilities that
support its roles
and purpose;
3. High levels of
public
satisfaction
and
confidence in
our
services so
people feel
safer.
4. Capacity Building 4. Professional
Development of
the Service
Fire & Rescue
Services should put
people first , be
community based
and driven;
ALIGNMENT AND IMPACT OF PHOENIX

16
4. Strategic Framework
Phoenix provides overall strategic direction and will be supported by the implementation of strategic plans in
alignment with CoGTA 2030 vision for the implementation of the GCR.
Phoenix sets out the P: F&RS vision and priorities for Fire & Rescue Services within the GCR. It describes what
the P: F&RS expects of the Fire & Rescue Services and sets the Fire & Rescue Services’ role in the context of
the wider GCR. Phoenix is built upon the foundation of the NDP, Gauteng TMR, the B2B as well as the White
Paper on Fire & Rescue Services. It also promotes innovative solutions, recognizing expertise, sharing
resources and enhancing capacity across Fire & Rescue Services and with the wider public sector.
Gauteng’s Fire & Rescue Services progress is greatly enhanced by P: F&RS efforts to take the lead on issues
important to the fire service. P: F&RS will continue to partner with fire and emergency services and
stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes outlined in Phoenix and its related Strategic Plans. Our goals
are the foundation for our work leading toward a fire safe Gauteng City Region.
4.1 Strategic Goal 1: Effective Coordination and Support of Fire & Rescue Services
P: F&RS collaborates and coordinates with Fire & Rescue Services and stakeholders to enhance capabilities,
interoperability and deployment strategies within the GCR.
4.2 Strategic Goal 2: Safer Communities
The P: F&RS support programs used in conjunction with municipal
Fire & Rescue Services efforts, contributes to significant reductions in
fatalities, injuries and property loss in the GCR. We work to reduce
risk and increase resiliency through programs and awareness
campaigns fire safety.
4.3 Strategic Goal 3: Promote a culture of pre-planning
and risk avoidance
Every response begins as a local event, and it will remain as such for as long as the local authority is able to
deal with the situation. In larger incidents overall success depends upon the rapid integration of neighboring
municipalities, provincial and/or national resources. The P: F&RS programs and initiatives are aimed at
improving the effectiveness of local response and provide guidance on the integration of neighboring
responding agencies.
4.4 Strategic Goal 4: Capacity Building and professional
development
Through the establishment of a GCR Fire & Rescue Services Academy
by 2020, delivery of training and advocacy of a competency-based
professional development system, P: F&RS aims to continue
providing leadership in fire service executive and technical skills
development and advocating for a single Provincial system of
training, development and professional development.

17
5. Strategic Elements
As described elsewhere within the document, the Gauteng City Region faces an ongoing evolution of the
humanitarian landscape and nature of fires and other disruptive incidents. While Fire & Rescue Services within
the GCR has progressed in terms of cooperation and collaboration, it is evident that the mechanisms to
respond to these new challenges need to be further developed.
Moving towards 2030, Fire & Rescue Services will need to recognize these changes and adapt their strategies
accordingly to ensure a comprehensive and strong response system is in place. This document outlines the
directions that may be considered in the next 14 years. There are a multitude of tasks that need to be
implemented as the region moves forward to meet emerging challenges. Three mutually-inclusive strategic
elements – partnership and teamwork, Institutionalization and Communications, Finance and Resource
Mobilization, – have been identified that may guide the improvement of Fire & Rescue Services by 2030.
Phoenix maps out the broad strategic direction that will guide the implementation of P: F&RS Strategic Plans
over the next 14 years, and is further enforced through a set of strategic elements that has the impact of
guiding our actions and are particularly important when faced with situations for which there is no clear set
of rules.
Figure 3: Strategic elements driving towards 2030

18
5.1 Strategic Element 1: Stakeholder engagements and collaborations
Fire & Rescue Services is an inherently collaborative activity. Success is dependent on multi-disciplinary
cooperation and teamwork, amongst GCR stakeholders. This section highlights the strengths of partnering
with entities at provincial, national, and local levels in the public, private and people sectors. In particular this
strategic element also determines the importance of drawing on the local knowledge and capacity of NGOs
and civil society.
It further identifies the potential roles of the P: F&RS to become a network coordinator of regional centers for
excellence in Fire & Rescue Services leadership and management that can facilitate knowledge creation, policy
analysis and training for the next generation of Fire & Rescue Services practitioners. It finally recognizes that
the role-players and stakeholders within the GCR community can provide strategic policy analysis and support
the development of the region as a global leader in Fire & Rescue Services.
The two key themes running throughout the document are a focus on ensuring safer communities and how
collaboration supports this agenda. Managing with less whilst maintaining appropriate services to citizens has
become a clear driver in the current economic climate. It is important that all activity is prioritized on the basis
of achieving real results for the citizen and communities. Collaboration, both in terms of
efficiencies/economies of scale and providing more rounded seamless services, will be a key element in
maintaining and improving services.
In the aftermath of fire incidents, partnerships prove critical in ensuring that humanitarian assistance and
relief is provided to affected communities. Partnerships are also important in building resilience amongst GCR
stakeholders and preparing communities to effectively respond to fire incidents and other disruptive incidents
through further stakeholder coordination.
Local NGOs, civil society organizations, which include faith-based and youth groups, often have a greater
advantage in emergency situations because of their ability to respond faster, tap local networks, and
understand the local contexts.
In the GCR, many initiatives have progressed with regard to partnership with civil society organizations and
these organizations and partnerships can respond immediately and efficiently as they are typically members
of the affected local community, speak the local language and understand local norms and culture.
The new focus of P: F&RS in strengthening partnerships realizes the vision of a people-oriented, people-
centered GCR. It is important to encourage these relationships and build upon new ones over the next 14 years
as communities evolve.
The trend of private sector companies coming together to respond indicates the potential for a more
coordinated approach in mobilizing and utilizing resources. The involvement of the private sector during
emergency response will also contribute to innovation as well as effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, it is
important for the GCR to have a coordination mechanism with the private sector to enable private sector to
participate actively in prevention and awareness efforts within the GCR.
It is also important to integrate local knowledge and capacity as a key stakeholder in Fire & Rescue Services
response over the next 14 years. It will be essential for local communities to be heard, participate and influence
the outcome of decision-making. Through integrating local communities into the decision-making process it
will create stronger communities and will lead to a resilient GCR.

19
A resilient city is a sustainable network of physical
systems and social communities that are both strong and
flexible. Cities are complex systems organized around
technologies, businesses, organizations, in-
frastructures, and socio- demographic
characteristics (population density, social stratification, service
delivery, etc.). While each of these components of the system
has likely been designed and developed, or is evolving
independently, and operates autonomously, in order to
be resilient they must be managed, organized and controlled in
a distributed fashion that in- corporates flexibility.
Other important features of the resilient city are
redundancy, reorganization and learning, and each
characteristic is briefly described below and represented in
figure 2.
5.2 Strategic Element 2: Institutionalization of
coordination and support mechanisms
The further institutionalization of coordination and support mechanisms to Fire & Rescue Services is a strategic
element that identifies the need for a multi-layered and cross-sectoral governance approach driving the
integration of the GCR Fire & Rescue Services Community. It further determines that the strategy moves
beyond the provincial and national levels and develops response strengths at community levels. This will also
be crucial to determine the impact on future generations. It also highlights the importance of communication
exchange between all stakeholders involved.
5.3 Strategic Element 3: Financial support and resourcing
As we look forward to 2030, one of the key challenges will be how to finance and mobilize the necessary
resources to move towards full implementation of Phoenix. Over the next 14 years it is of critical importance
to re-evaluate the funding structure and map out a strategy that will transform the way in which Phoenix and
the P: F&RS are funded.
Financial resourcing and collaboration in the context of building resilience, encompasses a fundamentally
bottom-up approach, and is sometimes viewed as a difficult approach. In smaller, poorer municipalities in
particular, the dependency on national and provincial funding can lead to tensions between the municipalities’
desire for planning autonomy on the one hand and the governments’ requirements for control and
accountability on the other. Addressing the three strategic elements outlined above would position P: F&RS
as a pioneer in transforming the Fire & Rescue Services landscape in the GCR and beyond, and strengthen its
leadership to maintain GCR safety and stability.
Figure 4: The elements of building a resilient GCR

20
6. General Conclusion
At a time of accelerated globalization, fighting fires and dealing with other disruptive incidents within urban
environment is becoming increasingly complex. GCR Officials needs to respond to the shifting nature of these
types of incidents with enthusiasm and flexibility.
The combination of rapid migration and the nature of technical systems within the GCR, will have significant
implications for the vulnerability of communities within the GCR. Therefore, developing appropriate mecha-
nisms to prevent, plan for and manage fires and other disruptive events in the GCR will, in the future, be a key
aspect of urban security.
Six general conclusions are drawn from the strategic direction and challenges highlighted by Phoenix, each of
which reflects the changing aspects of incident complexity and adaptability with in urban context:
1. It highlights that modern day pre-planning is being characterized by the need to adapt to uncertainty
and unpredictability.
2. It also illustrates that recovery following major fires and disruptive incidents are becoming just as
important as responding to these events.
3. It has become clear that government officials need to take on new roles in the pre-planning and
management of fires and other disruptive incidents within the GCR.
4. There is a need to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by new incident communication
technologies.
5. There is a need to intensify the drive of prevention and awareness information at vulnerable
communities within cities.
6. Finally, Fire & Rescue Services are required to start thinking beyond traditional jurisdictions or borders
in order to address risk from complex crises.
6.1 Adapting to limited predictability
The increasing complexity of urban areas, combined with growing complexity in the nature of risks, inevitably
leads to decreased predictability of new risks. Pre-planning against dealing with outbreak of fires and
disruptive incidents is by no means a static field. GCR Official are to closely follow academic discourses and to
apply techniques or methodologies that suits local contexts and circumstances as well as yielded proven
results.
Fire & Rescue Services need to adopt a double-track strategy in response to the decreased predictability of
potential incidents. On the one hand, GCR needs to improve its capacity to predict new or unforeseen risk
possibilities. In doing so, municipalities have significantly stepped up their capabilities for risk assessment and
risk analysis processes in recent years.
On the other hand, the GCR should also acknowledge the limits of prediction of fire incidents and other
disruptive incidents. New approaches have been developed that allow management processes to adapt to
changing risks and new risk environments; and these should be explored by the GCR. Initiatives like a focus on
fostering the self-efficacy of communities, or strengthening the networks among stakeholders involved in
response and recovery across administrative and municipal boundaries are representative in this context.

21
6.2 Response and recovery
An important shift can be observed in urban security practice that embodies a stronger concentration on
institutionalized support for recovery following an incident or emergency. This change can be traced back to
a common acknowledgement in the Fire & Rescue Services community, where despite the continued
refinement of safety mechanisms and risk management systems, there are limits to the return on investment
of resources deployed in direct response to fires.
While this shift is evident, the biggest of government resources dedicated to reacting to fires or emergencies
are still directed to the initial emergency response. Even so, ensuring communities, infrastructures, services
or systems recover adequately and appropriately, within as short as possible a time-frame remains a
fundamental goal of Fire & Rescue Services officials. Returning to ‘normal’ (where feasible or even possible) is
the key objective in returning communities to ‘normal’.
6.3 New roles for government actors
The increased focus on flexible and adaptive approaches for coping with emergency incidents within cities has
had major influence on the organization of Fire & Rescue Services in cities. Fire & Rescue Services responses
that can be characterized by a ‘command and control’ attitude and are organized in a purely hierarchical in-
stitutional manner are no longer standard practice. Without shared responsibility (between governments, the
private sector and members of civil society) it is very difficult to deal with today’s increasingly complex emer-
gencies. Indeed, this shared responsibility may magnify the consequences of fires in modern urban areas,
exaggerating connectedness and interdependency.
While responsibility sharing may have become a key factor, government institutions nevertheless retain the
legal authority (and overall responsibility) for Fire & Rescue Services. Therefore, instead of dissolving their role
into a ‘network of irresponsibility’, governmental actors are increasingly found to have redefined their role
from one of command and control to one of focusing on coordinating planning processes, synchronizing
responses and encouraging joint exercise and preparation.
While officials are well aware of the utility of measures that foster self-efficacy at the community level or
establish stakeholder dialogue about fire prevention, they also are constrained by scarce institutional
resources (financial and personnel particularly). In this sense, building partnerships is seen as a way to deliver
long-term goals, like community resilience building.
The city Fire & Rescue Services manager can foster resilience ‘from the bottom-up’ by bringing together key
social actors and partners and by supporting the public outreach activities and awareness campaigns NGOs
and other partner organizations. An alternative way to engage more directly with stakeholders and the general
population is made possible by new information and communication technologies. For example, social media
networks facilitate many new opportunities for direct exchange between existing partners and the estab-
lishment of new partnerships between authorities, social stakeholders and the general public.
The development and application of scenario exercises are other areas where governments increasingly play
an important role. These long-term planning exercises can serve several goals. First, they allow institutions to
identify and address risks proactively and facilitate planning for the most probable, not just the most recent
disaster. Second, exercises are the best way to determine whether urban systems are prepared for disaster or

22
not. Finally, scenario exercises can be used to strengthen cooperation and coordination mechanisms, but more
importantly to build personal networks and mutual trust.
6.4 Exploring new technologies
The application of new technologies, which can be deployed to serve known and particular purposes, are
characteristic of all stages of urban incident management. New technologies that improve communication are
generally no exception to this pattern.
In the last few years, social media has grown into an influential form of mass communication. Fire & Rescue
officials should recognized that social media is a powerful tool to quickly communicate to a large number of
people about incidents in real time. Many Fire & Rescue Services actively communicate through social media.
However, the medium’s use by authorities as an institutionalized method of communication is in its infancy
and therefore still attracts a measure of circumspection.
One new application that social media has been used for in several recent significant incidents around the
world is ‘crisis mapping’. Geographic information systems (GIS) are already important tools for planning land-
use in urban areas, risk identification and assessment. Increasingly, it is also used for situational awareness by
professional emergency managers in crisis.
Social media is now being used by the general public to communicate incidents, and usually, volunteers draw
this information with specially developed software into a real time ‘crisis map’. While such real-time mapping
of incidents by the general public is an attractive resource for institutional Fire & Rescue Services managers,
there are still concerns that the information contained within crisis maps is unverified and not entirely
trustworthy. Aside from the mapping and communication possibilities that social media presents for Fire &
Rescue Services, new technological systems like social media networks can significantly enhance risk and crisis
communication between city officials, other organizations involved in Fire & Rescue Services, disaster
management, and the general public.
6.5 Targeting vulnerable communities
In cities, the weakest link in responses are often the vulnerable communities or minorities. Cities are diverse,
and there can be many communities with own cultural or ethnic identities, poor local language skills, or fewer
financial means. They may not receive, interpret correctly, or properly understand incident information or
warnings. Likewise, the elderly, people with health problems or disabilities require different communication
techniques or information than the general public, and may require extra physical assistance, especially in
cases of evacuation.
Targeting vulnerable communities is an important means by which Fire & Rescue Services can improve the
GCR’s general response to and recovery from major fires. Managing outbreak of fires properly in the city and
ensuring urban security, is about bringing the responses of diverse population components together in a
holistic and comprehensive process.
While the issue of demographic diversity is widely acknowledged among disaster managers, the means to
address it are often not clear and are certainly sub-population specific. This translates to the need for extra
resources to support nuanced risk communication and disaster planning processes. In several of the cities,
disaster planners are taking steps to improve the demographic mapping of their cities in order to accurately

23
locate vulnerable sub-populations – a necessity if these populations are to be specifically targeted. Other cities
distribute risk information in several languages that correspond to the most important sub-populations.
Closer dialogue between Fire & Rescue Services and members of the public, particularly using public meetings
to obtain feedback on planning processes, has been a powerful means of gaining a stronger understanding of
community-specific disaster risk management deficiencies or opportunities. Ultimately, the mechanisms used
by cities to target vulnerable communities must be specific to the cities, to the hazards the communities at
risk, and to the nature of the communities themselves.
6.6 Thinking beyond borders
Fire & Rescue Service members and planners should increasingly be thinking and planning outside of the
traditional jurisdictional boundaries that characterized their historical operational ‘territory’. While geography
remains the basis for planning, closer consideration of issues beyond traditional planning boundaries is now a
fundamental feature of Fire & Rescue Services planning. This development mirrors the recognition that cities
are geographically expanding, but after all spatially distinct.
The need to incorporate beyond-border contexts in modern planning is particularly evident in places that share
geographic, cultural or political closeness. For example, the municipalities within the GCR actively cooperates
with neighbors in its pre-planning and Fire prevention processes. In-land and coastal provinces may be bound
to shared agreements that encourage cross-border disaster planning or incident response training; Cities like
Sydney, which is relatively isolated compared to other cities in the study, nevertheless draw on the interna-
tional Fire & Rescue Services community to improve practice. In the context of wildfire, a hazard that both
Sydney and Los Angeles face, personnel, researchers and techniques are often shared. Globalization may
complicate Fire & Rescue Services responses, but it also connects Fire Services managers in a major way.
The breakdown in jurisdictional adherence is not only occurring in the geographical sense. Institutional
integration, both horizontally and vertically, is now a fundamental characteristic of Fire & Rescue Services
planning and management processes and practices. The driver may be related to questions of how best to
organize systems of responsibility to manage complexity in fires or threat adequately and effectively.

24
VISION 2030
“Fully established world class Fire & Rescue Services within the Gauteng City Region to
ensure safer communities by 2030”
Coordination and support structures Leaderships Partnerships and collaborations
‘We have fully functional coordination
and support structures in place”
We are a global leader in our field” ‘We improve our relationship with our
emergency services stakeholders”
By 2030 we will: By 2030 we will: By 2030 we will:
 Have an organizational design in place
with the best of skills in the world.
 Be the employer of choice.
 Have a strong influencing on shaping
policy within the GCR
 Work with our partners to eliminate
duplication of Services.
 Have fully operational coordination and
support structures to ensure effective
and efficient Fire & Rescue Services
within the GCR.
 Have performance that is equal to, or
better than, any Fire & Rescue Services
in the world.
 Have established MOUs and working
relationships with other Fire & Rescue
Services.
 Have strong relationships with
international bodies and institutions.
Adaptability Capacity Building and professional
development
Pre-planning and prevention
“We recognise the need for change and
does so rapidly”
“Fully established GCR Fire & Rescue
Services Training Centre”
“We will have effective local responder
capabilities in place”
 Work with communities and
stakeholders to anticipate their
changing needs.
 Adapt our processes and approaches
effortlessly and speedily whenever the
need arises for changes to be affected.
 Have access to well-trained and
motivational leaders, supported by
high-quality professional development
programmes.
 Have a fully established GCR Fire &
Rescue Services Training Academy.
 Deliver effective service through
standardized risk-based approach and
processes throughout the GCR.
 Have effective local response in place.
Safer communities Reduction of fire risk Community liaison
“We will have safer communities” “We will reduce the number of injuries
to our people and the GCR public”
“We have strong partnership with our
communities”
 Have a fully functional GCR Safety and
Prevention Strategy.
 Have reduced the rate of fire deaths
and property losses in vulnerable
communities.
 Have significantly reduced the number
of serious injuries and harm to our
people as result of fires.
 Have improved community-focused
awareness campaigns and risk
awareness programmes.
 Work effectively with our communities
to reduce the number of incidents
 Have a clear understanding of our role
in communities and what is most
important to them.
 Have improved response mechanisms
to respond to community needs.
FULLY ESTABLISHED
WORLD CLASS FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
SAFER COMMUNITIES

25

Rise of the phoenix vision 2030 Roland Hendricks

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