N$6,7 million fire station for Walvis

THE biggest fire station in the Erongo Region has been named after one of Walvis Bay’s most colourful residents, freedom fighter and long-serving community leader, Tatekulu Mautamanene Gottlieb.

The modern $6,7 million facility was on Monday officially inaugurated as the Mautamanene Fire Station. “As a steadfast leader he has been a great inspiration of hope and courage to many of our residents just like the fire station will be a beacon of hope to those in need of relief,” said King Mandume Muatunga, Mayor of Walvis Bay.Ben Amathila, in his capacity as Member of Parliament and personal friend of Tatekulu Gottlieb, said Mautamanene (the big gun) had always been a quiet servant of his people.”He did everything to contribute to the greatness of great people.”Amathila, who worked with Tatekulu Gottlieb at the Oceana fish factory in the 1950s and later met him again in exile, recalled how they used to cycle to work, and together fought the move from the old location to Kuisebmond when the apartheid laws were implemented.He said ironically one of the reasons given by the former Municipality for the move was the fire hazard posed by shacks in the old location.Amathila praised the location of the new fire station at a central spot between the different suburbs.It was a day of celebration as a fire truck was also donated to the Municipality by BP.The truck, worth about N$800 000, was sourced from the West Yorkshire fire services in the United Kingdom.Equipment, including more than 100 fire fighting suits and other gear worth N$300 000, was also donated.A second donated fire truck will arrive early next year and will bring the number of operational fire trucks at Walvis Bay to four.The donation was facilitated by BP, which has a long association with the harbour town as its first storage tanks were erected in 1930 already.The extent of the company’s activities at Walvis Bay are immense as the full 750 000 metric tons of petroleum products that are sold annually in Namibia come through the port.This means two petroleum tankers carrying 20 000 tons call at the harbour every month.The donation of the fire trucks was boosted by the strike of fire fighters in England earlier this year.When the army was called in to fight fires during the strike, the British government realised there were too many trucks.BP has also assisted Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique in obtaining fire fighting equipment.The strategic location of the new fire station at Walvis Bay in proximity to fish processing and industrial plants, as well as the suburbs, will shorten the response time from 15 to nine minutes, said the Mayor.According to statistics Walvis Bay has experienced 47 fires from June 2003 to June 2004.The majority of fires – 15 – occurred at shacks and 13 at residential homes.”As a steadfast leader he has been a great inspiration of hope and courage to many of our residents just like the fire station will be a beacon of hope to those in need of relief,” said King Mandume Muatunga, Mayor of Walvis Bay.Ben Amathila, in his capacity as Member of Parliament and personal friend of Tatekulu Gottlieb, said Mautamanene (the big gun) had always been a quiet servant of his people.”He did everything to contribute to the greatness of great people.”Amathila, who worked with Tatekulu Gottlieb at the Oceana fish factory in the 1950s and later met him again in exile, recalled how they used to cycle to work, and together fought the move from the old location to Kuisebmond when the apartheid laws were implemented.He said ironically one of the reasons given by the former Municipality for the move was the fire hazard posed by shacks in the old location.Amathila praised the location of the new fire station at a central spot between the different suburbs.It was a day of celebration as a fire truck was also donated to the Municipality by BP.The truck, worth about N$800 000, was sourced from the West Yorkshire fire services in the United Kingdom.Equipment, including more than 100 fire fighting suits and other gear worth N$300 000, was also donated.A second donated fire truck will arrive early next year and will bring the number of operational fire trucks at Walvis Bay to four.The donation was facilitated by BP, which has a long association with the harbour town as its first storage tanks were erected in 1930 already.The extent of the company’s activities at Walvis Bay are immense as the full 750 000 metric tons of petroleum products that are sold annually in Namibia come through the port.This means two petroleum tankers carrying 20 000 tons call at the harbour every month.The donation of the fire trucks was boosted by the strike of fire fighters in England earlier this year.When the army was called in to fight fires during the strike, the British government realised there were too many trucks.BP has also assisted Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique in obtaining fire fighting equipment.The strategic location of the new fire station at Walvis Bay in proximity to fish processing and industrial plants, as well as the suburbs, will shorten the response time from 15 to nine minutes, said the Mayor.According to statistics Walvis Bay has experienced 47 fires from June 2003 to June 2004.The majority of fires – 15 – occurred at shacks and 13 at residential homes.