Ocean View residents are taking their safety into their own hands.
In case of emergency, they no longer have to wait for fire engines or ambulances to arrive to save lives.
Thanks to a new initiative, Ocean View residents are being trained to be firefighters and paramedics, to act as first responders to a scene.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been training mense since 2015.
It is open to anyone 16 and older, is privately funded, and has two units - one servicing the broader Ocean View area, and the other Vrygrond, near Muizenberg.
The Ocean View unit has 21 members, 11 who are jong meisies eager to make a difference.
Rebekah Le Fleur, 16, says the unit has made her feel as if she can do anything.
“I am more disciplined and confident in all I do, my family is so proud and supportive. This is an exciting venture and I know I can do anything I set my mind to,” she says.
Director of CERT, Davin Chown, says they saw the need for a citizen response team because it often took ambulances and paramedics long to get to their area.
The closest fire station is in Noordhoek, 10 kilometers or 20 minutes' drive away.
“Residents no longer have to wait for a fire truck or an ambulance to be dispatched from far away to help.
“Our unit is certified in First Aid, Wild Land Firefighters and Disaster Risk Management. We work hand in hand with Emergency personnel,” he explains.
“Our unit is fully trained, have their own equipment and can save lives.”
The team hopes to expand these services to other volatile communities and have rolled out in the Masiphumelele, Vrygrond and Red Hill areas.
Malvern Dicks,18, a matriculant at Ocean View High, says the unit is “like family”.
“From the start, this unit has given me advice, opened doors for me,” she says.
The City’s JP Smith says: “Emergency Volunteer Services play a crucial role in supplementing the City’s disaster response, and the development and capacitation of volunteer services to assist the City’s Emergency Services will be a key area of focus.”