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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu

THE Bulawayo City Council has received fire tenders and equipment worth US$1 million from Operation Florian, a development set to improve access to emergency services.

The partnership with the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service charity turns 11 years this year and has also seen the training of local firefighters from across Zimbabwe.

The United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service charity is in Bulawayo for two weeks to train 150 fire firefighters from THE Bulawayo City Council and other local authorities in the country.

In a speech, Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said the city’s relationship with Operation Florian came at a time when emergency services were facing major challenges of shortage of equipment, personnel that needed refresher courses in new fire and emergency technologies and a boost in morale as a number had also left the country.

He said in the relationship had improved the city’s response time, helped increase the fleet of fire and rescue equipment and enabled Bulawayo to become one of the leading firefighting services in the country.