First regional satellite disaster management centre has been launched as part of ongoing efforts to minimize the impact of natural or manmade disasters.

THE Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality recently opened its first regional satellite disaster management centre in Katlehong, as part of ongoing efforts to minimize the impact of disasters, whether natural or manmade.

In 2008 the Ekurhuleni Metro faced the xenophobic attacks which were declared a provincial state of disaster, the relocation of Bapsfontein Informal Settlement residents due to dolomite instability in 2010 and flooding in various parts of the Metro early this year.

These examples make it clear how imperative it is for the Metro to implement pre-disaster risk reduction measures, as well as post disaster recovery measures, right at the heart of communities.
According to Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Mondli Gungubele, who spoke at the opening of the Katlehong centre, “an organised and educated community is a safe community”.

One of the functions of the facility is to conduct awareness and training programmes for residents on preventing risk and mitigating the severity of disasters, and increasing emergency preparedness of communities in such events.

The Katlehong office which is the first of its kind in the Metro will service the Southern region of Ekurhuleni while the offices in Tembisa (Northern region) and Tsakane (Eastern region) will be opened soon. These centres will serve as regional headquarters for disaster management teams during incidents such as floods, fires, strong winds and civil strife.

The centres add to a disaster management structure comprising of three focal points located in Kempton Park, Alberton and Springs, as well as a central emergency call centre.

Source: Ekurhuleni