The Sea Point Fire Station began operations in 1932, and despite the changes around it, the building still stands tall, albeit only two stories high.
The historic fire house has been undergoing a renovation since last month and Ward 54 councillor Nicola Jowell said the project is estimated to cost R10 million.
Senior Firefighter Kevin September is the station’s longest-serving firefighter, having been there since 2000 and now in his 40th year of service.
“We are all happy that the changes are being made inside and outside, it’s an old building but it has heritage value so you can’t just build or replace anything,” said Mr September.
“The contractors are not replacing anything, as you can see they are refurbishing the doors, the walls, the floors, everything. Everything in this building is original, there have been a few changes here and there but not much. There was a payphone in the building but that was taken out years ago,” he said.
The famous pole slide, which firefighters used in an emergency, is no longer part of the fire station since it constituted a safety risk.
“It happened that firefighters slide down this pole when they are wet, this is after jumping out of a shower. We have two minutes to get going from the time that the alarm goes off so it’s a rush, and some guys have hurt their ankles so the pole hole is no longer in use, I can’t recall when it was stopped,” Mr September said.
Aside from the firefighters’ bedrooms, there is a dining room, a television room, a laundry facility, a gym room with a pool table and a large balcony which no longer has a view of the mountain.
“We have three platoons and platoon one is here today, that’s five fighters that will be on duty for 24 hours. There is enough space for us all to work and not interrupt the contractors. This station is comfortable for all of us that work here,” he said.
“From this balcony we could see the mountain and we could see the fire or smoke from here and we would respond before we even got the call. In the summer time the mountain fires keep us busy but we do respond to emergencies in informal settlements, so we have to always be ready.”
Station Commander Kevin Manuel is also pleased that the refurbishing has started and added that the design of the building is similar to a ship.
“There is a window that is similar to what ships have and if you look at the shape of the building you can see that it resembles a ship. The doors of the dining hall were damaged during the storms last year. We were out on a call when that happened as during that time there were quite a few emergencies. So these doors will be refurbished and put back on, and other work too so we are pleased with these changes,” said Mr Manuel.
Both firefighters said that members of the public are welcome to visit the fire station as it is open to the public.
“We often see people walking past and looking at the building, they are wondering if they can come in and we do invite them to check out the fire station. So people must know that we are here and that they are welcome to check out the station and meet the firefighters,” said Mr September.
