This is according to several emergency services that gathered at Bloemfontein for the annual road safety launch.
The Life Rosepark Hospital/Shell Ultra City Pitstop road safety campaign has been presented to holiday goers through the central region for the past 17 years.
Every year the main partners, Life Rosepark Hospital and Shell Ultra City Pitstop, work and plan their campaign around a theme, and this years’ theme is “Drive to Live.”
The annual road safety campaign is unique in the sense that it brings all – private and public – emergency services of the Free State province together in one arena.
The launch included an interactive demonstration by all emergency services in the province on how emergency services operate on accident scenes. The demonstration was based on a head-on collision between a motorbike and vehicle, with passengers trapped inside and under the vehicle. All present emergency services were dispatched to the ‘accident scene’ and demonstrated how their co-operate with each other. The demonstration attracted a lot of attention, not just from invited guests and emergency services attending the launch, but also from visitors and holiday goers at the Shell Ultra City.
According to Hannika Struwig, marketing- and communications manager of Life Rosepark Hospital, “the importance of such an campaign is the fact that it creates a sense of goodwill and synergy between the provinces’ emergency services. It shows visitors to the central region that all emergency services are ready and geared to handle any situation fast and effectively. The hospital’s emergency team and fellow emergency colleagues will be on duty 24/7.
The Mangaung Fire and Rescue Services, Emergency Medical Services, the South African Police Service, the Provincial Department of Road, Transport and Police, ER24 and Life Rosepark, among others, say they can confirm they’re all on board and there are plans underway to ensure people’s safety during this festive season.
All these emergency services urged motorists to drive safely this festive season and to not drink and drive.
KATLEHO MORAPELA – OFM NEWS
