Southern Cape Fire Protection Association


Benefits

Direct (tangible) benefits of SCFPA membership:

  • Shared resources between members with regards to fire fighting equipment which results in Fire Management Unit’s being better equipped and resulting in a cost saving for individual members.
  • Firebreaks are not needed on the cadastral boundaries. Realignments can be negotiated between landowners and exemptions can be applied for by members of the FMU’s resulting in a more practical and usable firebreak system. This will result in a cost saving for members by not having to prepare firebreaks on all the cadastral boundaries.
  • Increase in the conservation benefit within the landscape due to the minimization of the number of firebreaks. This will reduce potential accelerated erosion and disturbance to natural veld and forest.
  • Increased awareness and management of Social, Environmental and Economic risks
  • Increased coordination in the event of a fire
  • Reduction of fire related risk by various means eg: fuel load management
  • Fire management plans compiled for Fire Management Units (FMU’s)
  • Members are automatically affiliated to the Western Cape Umbrella FPA which liaise with National, Local Government and parastatal structures
  • Assistance in the event of extreme fire conditions through the provision of Trained Fire Fighting teams and Management
  • Training for new members in Basic Veld Fire Fighting
  • Additional training can be arranged by the SCFPA at a considerably reduced cost
  • Awareness campaigns are initiated, which include the establishment of a website
  • Provision of a platform with which to raise issues with local and provincial government structures
  • Provision of administrative support to FMU’s thereby reducing costs for units
  • The SCFPA is the mechanism to gain support from Working on Fire and other government initiatives
  • Access to international funding if available e.g GEF and the World Bank
  • Reduced incidence of fires
  • Enforcement where necessary in incidences where members and non-members do not comply with legislation
  • Members adhering to the rules of the SCFPA will automatically comply with legislation (The SCFPA rules can be found under the 'DOWNLOADS' tab)
  • The “presumption of negligence” clause in the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 101 of 1998
    34. (1) If a person who brings civil proceedings proves that he or she suffered loss from a veldfire which-
    (a) the defendant caused; or
    (b) started on or spread from land owned by the defendant, the defendant is presumed to have been negligent in relation to the veldfire until the contrary is proved, unless the defendant is a member of a fire protection association in the area where the fire occurred.

Indirect (intangible) benefits of SCFPA membership:

  • The interaction and extension services with different landowners will result in an increased in awareness with regards to the risk of fire and the consequences of uncontrolled fire to both property and infrastructure.
  • Reduced fire risk due to planning and better response times
  • Biodiversity benefits by instituting better fire management practices
  • Provision of inputs into government policy and decision making will be achieved through involvement of the executive committee.

Associated Files:

Advantages of SCFPA membership

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Contact Information

Southern Cape Fire Protection Association

· Private Bag X12, Knysna 6570
· Tel: 044 302 6912
· Fax: 086 616 1682

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