Fire and Rescue International Newsletter

Dräger South Africa Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2026

The Dräger Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge will take place on 24 and 25 July 2026 at their head office in Woodmead, Johannesburg.

When seconds matter, awareness matters more. Reliability, comfort and safety are no longer optional—they’re essential. Get to know our new safety equipment and find out how Dräger continues to protect those who protect others—every step of the way. Because firefighters demand more.

The Dräger Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge is an annual high-intensity competition that tests firefighters on fitness, strength and tactical skill.

Registration will close on Wednesday, 15 July 2026!

Register now!

https://www.draeger.com/en_za/Safety/Fire-Challenge?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-97gvW4aW0kfydN_y0SSE9rdpfFFvHiYk_T96e0sFNVKDp7hydTwNYPmRII71QtFKKTwhB7rnHRtG9JPvmQ3ni49B-9YQ&_hsmi=422927690&utm_content=422927690&utm_source=hs_email

For further information, contact Wimpie van Onselen, Marketing Manager: Emergency and Rescue Services at Dräger South Africa on Tel: +27 11 059 4200 or email: Wimpie.van-Onselen@draeger.com. Check out last year’s event: https://youtu.be/rzy4RL0AreU?list=PLiuh1pW4MveN6gs1iyDlQSqwcW_BAXJwf

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The Katlehong Fire Station in Ekurhuleni was officially opened on 19 June 2026, by Executive Mayor Alderman Nkosindiphile Xhakaza. Located at 2096 Letsoho Street, the state-of-the-art facility increases the city’s firefighting network to 30 stations, significantly improving emergency response capabilities and turnaround times across the Kathorus region. He said the completion of the fire station was a major milestone after years of navigating several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, contractual issues and difficult soil conditions in the area.

The ongoing and destructive Aspen Acres Fire has been burning in Custer County and Pueblo County in southern Colorado, 20 miles from Pueblo. As of July 6, 2026, the wildfire has burned 97 083 acres (39 288ha) and is 20% contained. It has damaged or destroyed over 780 structures making it the now the seventh most destructive in Colorado’s history and the eighth largest. It is also currently the largest wildfire burning in Colorado and is the top priority in terms of resources by the US. The fire was first reported on June 29, 2026 and grew to over 23 000 acres (9 300ha) the same day several miles to the east driven by the high winds. Mandatory evacuations were widespread in and around the town of Beulah as a result. The fire mostly burnt the outskirts of the town but still caused significant damage.

EThekwini Municipality’s unwavering commitment to saving lives and strengthening fire and rescue services took centre stage as Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba unveiled a R29 million state-of-the-art Aerial Ladder Platform fire vehicle. This significant investment marks a major milestone in enhancing public safety and advancing the City’s emergency response capabilities. The acquisition comes at a critical time as eThekwini continues to face increasingly complex fire and rescue incidents, particularly in densely populated areas and high-rise buildings. Reaching up to 44 metres high and accessing buildings up to 14 storeys, this advanced unit is built for rapid, precision response in high-risk environments.

A major urban search-and-rescue operation was launched in the Petralona district of Athens on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. after a four-storey apartment building suddenly collapsed, sending tonnes of concrete, steel and masonry crashing into the street and prompting fears that several people had become trapped beneath the debris. According to Greece’s Fire Brigade, emergency calls reporting the collapse were received shortly after the incident occurred, leading to an immediate multi-agency response involving firefighters, specialised rescue personnel, emergency medical services (EMS), police and civil protection authorities.

The official launch of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in Hoedspruit took place in June 2026 at the Hoedspruit Civil Airfield. This exciting initiative is a collaboration between the Maruleng Fire Protection Association NPC, Leading Edge Aviation and Supporting Fire Services South Africa, bringing together aerial and ground firefighting resources to strengthen wildfire response capabilities in our region. The Quick Reaction Force concept has already proven its value in the Western Cape, where the rapid deployment of helicopters and trained ground crews has helped contain fires during their early stages, reducing the risk of devastating large-scale wildfires.

On June 30, Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett visited an urban search and rescue site following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. USAR teams continue to search for survivors using all available resources, including rescue dogs, DELSAR listening devices and specialised equipment to assist in the search.

Source: Media Magik Entertainment

The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department (ESD) has reached a significant milestone with the official opening of its Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Training Programme at the Erasmuskloof Fire Station Training Academy. The programme marks a major investment in strengthening the City’s specialised emergency response capability by developing highly skilled Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Technicians who are equipped to respond to complex rescue incidents. For the first time, the Emergency Services Department has commenced training its own members in this dynamic programme, which is internationally recognised as a specialised emergency response discipline.

The world’s most dangerous aviation job starts here, as trainees enter one of the most demanding aerial firefighting programs in the world — where not all of them will make it.

Source: Airborne Firefighters

Following just over a year of retirement, Benoni SAPS K9 Unit member Optimus has been called to ‘higher service’, reports Heidelberg Nigel Heraut. The canine hero died on June 19. Warrant Officer Martin Bann of the Ekurhuleni Water Police and Diving Services on the East Rand, who was Optimus’s handler and partner of 10 years, said the death of the Belgian German shepherd-cross leaves a massive void in his home and heart. The dog had been at his side during more than 1 300 operations, a partnership that began when the dedicated K9 was just six months old. The pair made international headlines in 2023 when they deployed to Türkiye as part of a global search-and-rescue effort following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

A wildfire burning out of control in southwestern France has forced the evacuation of 10 000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border and officials said strong winds on Monday would further fan the blaze. The fire has scorched some 4 600 hectares in the foothills of ⁠the French Pyrénées, local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said in a post on X. “This morning conditions are deteriorating again,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ⁠warned on French TV station TF1. “Today the battle resumes.”

A fuel tanker which overturned on the N1 in Cape Town on Monday night, 29 June 2026 and caused hours of traffic disruption could have been far worse, said the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service. The truck, carrying aviation fuel from the Koeberg Interchange, overturned on the FW de Klerk Boulevard outbound slip road towards the M5 South. City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said crews worked through the night to ensure the tanker could be safely emptied.

This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: The disaster search dog: The ultimate tool to locate the scent of live buried victims written by Neels de Klerk, station commander: fire safety, Breede Valley Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services (at the time of writing this article) (FRI Vol 4 no 1). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.

Located on Safety Way, the new Prosper Central Fire Station and Fire Administration building is a new state-of-the-art five-apparatus bay station with accommodations for 10 firefighters and two captains. Following a similar architectural language and material palette as the adjacent Police Building, the Fire Station occupies the first floor and the Fire Administration occupies the second floor. The material, massing and custom backlit signage signal the uniqueness of the Fire Department while also providing an image of civic identity and continuity for the overall campus.

I thought this was just another drone… I was wrong.

Source: Myshify

The only six core exercises firefighters need to build functional strength aren’t crunches — they’re movement patterns that help you brace, rotate, stabilise, protect your back and perform better on the job. In this video, I break down the six core patterns every firefighter should train: anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation, flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation.

Source: Mitch Gourley

The video illustrates the importance of isolating a conscious victim in a tenable room when possible, to await for extinguishment or to remove through other means. The alternative of removing a victim through an IDLH environment (Smokey hallway) can be detrimental to the victim.

Source: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training Division

By Rick DeGroot, Building Construction for the Fire Service
On 5 July 1973, 11 Kingman Arizona firefighters and one civilian were killed in a catastrophic BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) at the Doxol Gas Distribution Plant. The explosion occurred following a fire that broke out as liquid propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank. The Kingman Fire Department received a call that a Santa Fe propane car was on fire. Firefighters from the Kingman and Hualapai Fire Departments worked to extinguish the fire when the BLEVE occurred. The explosion immediately killed three firefighters and fatally burned eight other firefighters as burning debris and shrapnel from the shattered tank car rained down on the area igniting brush and several structures. One civilian employee of the gas plant was also fatally injured in the incident and more than 95 other persons including firefighters, police officers and civilians suffered burns from the radiant heat. More than $1 million in property damage was reported. The explosion has become a classic incident studied in hazardous materials training programs worldwide.

Respect

When we train people one of the true mark of professionalism is the ability to respect everyone else for their styles and always find something positive in every dining experience and highlight it in their thoughts and words. We also realise that every individual has a place to fill in this world.

By Julius Fleischman