Fire and Rescue can't communicate following non payment by Bitou Municipality

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The radio repeater service allowing Bitou fire and rescue, traffic and law enforcement officers to efficiently communicate with each other and their control room was suspended because of non-payment by the Bitou Municipality.

Henry Eybers of Garden Route Communications - the company providing the service - said they had only received three payments from the municipality over the past 18 months and by late last week the amount outstanding was more than R22 000.
After threatening to suspend the service, the company received a further R8 000 payment last week, but the municipality failed to pay the outstanding amount after which the service was suspended.

"We have tried on numerous occasions to get the outstanding account settled. I have had a meeting with municipal manager Alan Paulse who promised to look into the matter, but two months later we still had not had any feedback," Eybers said.

He added he also personally requested mayor Memory Booysen's assistance to resolve the issue, but nothing had come of it and therefore he was forced to suspend the service. Eybers said after a discussion with the municipal manager, Paulse gave the go-ahead to suspend the service.
Eybers said this meant that if there was an emergency outside Plettenberg Bay, for example Hakerville or the Crags, officers would be unable to communicate with each other or the control room, which placed not only residents' lives and properties at risk, but could also lead to a dangerous situation for the officers themselves.
Eybers said that Garden Route Communications also party sponsored the service and that the municipality only had minimal costs.
"We supply similar services to other municipalities, but have never had any hassles."

Paulse confirmed a contractual dispute arose between the parties which led to the disconnection of one channel of the communication line to a section of the outer areas of the municipality. "The entire Plettenberg Bay area was not affected at all," Paulse said.

Since the switch-off the emergency services section has reverted to using two channels of the internal municipal frequencies for the coverage these channels offer.
"In order to address the challenge of pager systems not operating due to the repeater being switched off; a shift system has been introduced whereby a crew is on standby from the fire station between 11pm and 7am until such time that the radio and pager system issue has been resolved and or until 24 hour shifts are approved and implemented."
He added that no life or property was therefore at risk.

"Contractual dispute matters between the parties are being attended to. The Municipality is also investigating long term communication solutions for our emergency services."