JDA Lehae Training Academy & Fire Station

Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

As custodians of the emergency services in the City of Johannesburg, Emergency Management Services (EMS) is primarily responsible for the provision of ambulance, fire and rescue services, disaster management and proactive services, public information and education, as well as training of emergency management personnel.

To deliver effectively on this mandate, the need for a single facility to house a public safety training unit was identified: The JDA Lehae Training Academy & Fire Station. The land available for such a facility was found in Lehae Extension 1, Gauteng. Residents of this area and the adjacent Lenasia are serviced by the Lenasia fire station, which struggles to meet the requirements of the two areas resulting in delays in responding to emergency calls.

It is for this reason that EMS is investing in capacitating its core services as well as ensuring that the standard of service that is delivered is on a level expected from an excellent emergency management service provider. To this end, EMS has allocated a budget and appointed the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) to assist with the realisation of the training academy and new fire station.

SERVICES RENDERED

The site is located on Portion 1 of the Rietfontein farm in Lehae Extension 1, which is situated east of Lenasia Extension 9 along R554/Nirvana Drive. A combination of new and upgrade interventions were proposed with the intention of transforming the site from its underdeveloped state to a facility that offered world-class training interventions along with a well-equipped fire station with the capacity to service the neighbouring residents.

The following interventions were proposed for the training academy:

  • An administration building
  • Dormitories with ancillary facilities including a mess hall and canteen
  • Auditorium style lecture rooms
  • Large auditorium
  • Swimming pool and sports fields and courts.

The design of the fire station had to be based on the prototype fire stations in construction elsewhere in the city. The fire station also had to include a Basic Emergencies, Safety and Fire Education Centre as per the prototype designs being built at the time.

CLIENT NAME: Johannesburg Development Agency

LOCATION: Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa

PROJECT DURATION: 33 Months

START DATE: October 2016

END DATE: June 2019

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