The City of Windhoek will require large properties to connect their fire alarms to the city’s emergency control room, charging N$9 000 per year for the service.
The municipality is rolling out a fire alarm receiver system, with hospitals, hostels, properties larger than 500 square metres or with basement parking all required to connect to it.
Windhoek spokesperson Lydia Amutenya yesterday confirmed the development, adding that the city is engaging with affected property owners and running a public awareness campaign.
“I can confirm that the council has approved the implementation of a mandatory Municipal Fire Alarm Receiver System,” she says.
MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT
Electronics company Generic Electronic Solutions has been selected to build and manage the system through a multi-year contract.
“Through the implementation of [this system], the City of Windhoek aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency response services, reduce fire-related injuries, fatalities, and property losses and strengthen fire safety compliance within high-risk occupancies,” city chief executive Moses Matyayi says in a letter to a private institution, which The Namibian has seen.
Institutions notified by the city have 30 days to connect their fire alarm systems to Windhoek’s centralised emergency control.
The system is a 24-hour monitoring platform that receives automatic fire alarm signals from connected buildings, notifying the city’s emergency control room. It is designed to reduce response times, the letter says.
Institutions need to pay a N$750 monthly subscription fee to the city. In addition, they need to pay a contractor to install a transmitter at their property.
“To facilitate the successful implementation of the municipal fire alarm receiver system, the City of Windhoek has appointed Generic Electronic Solutions CC as the sole authorised contractor responsible [for installing radio transmitters],”
Generic Electronic Solutions yesterday told The Namibian that buildings need to have a working fire alarm system first, before they can be connected to the municipality.
“Our role is to supply, install and maintain the system that enables the city’s fire brigade to receive fire alarm signals from connected buildings directly in the emergency control room at its fire station(s). Each connected building requires a transmitter, which we also supply,” owner Jacques Koekemoer says.
The cost of the radio transmitter itself is around N$2 000, and the once-off installation cost for businesses is between N$500 and N$950.
The requirement for certain businesses to connect to the city’s emergency control room was gazetted in September 2023 and forms part of the city’s fire brigade service regulations.
“A person who contravenes or fails to comply with [the regulations] commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N$4 000 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months or to both such fine and such imprisonment,” the gazette says.
The Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF) says it has not been formally informed or consulted on the implementation of the system.
“The federation supports effective fire-safety measures and faster emergency response. However, we cannot support the implementation of a mandatory system where the costs, technical requirements, procurement process and responsibilities have not been transparently communicated,” NEF president Elias Shikongo says.
He says businesses require adequate time for installing the systems.
“Premises with a compatible fire-detection system may require only an interface and connection, while others may require upgrades or an entirely new system,” he says.
“The NEF would therefore not support punitive enforcement until the city has properly consulted affected stakeholders and provided complete information on the costs, contractor appointment, technical requirements and implementation process,” Shikongo says.
