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11 April 2018 Photo Leonie Bolleurs
First accredited ICS training in SA presented at UFS
Prof Andries Jordaan, Head of DiMTEC, with Greg Archer from the United States Forest Services, and Yong Sebastian Nyam, a DiMTEC PhD student from Cameroon.

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) and the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA) presented the first training exercise in the Free State, offering practical experience regarding the implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS) under simulated emergency conditions.

An Exercise Coordination Team (ECT), consisting of US instructors, under the leadership of Mike Kopitzke from the United States Forest Services, together with Johann Breytenbach from FSUFPA and supported by local personnel, facilitated the exercise.

Training complete with sand table exercise 

This dual site desktop exercise took place at the Rooipoort Training Centre outside Dewetsdorp and the DiMTEC offices in the Agriculture Building on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The Incident Management Team (IMT) training – complete with a sand table exercise   was presented at Rooipoort, At the same time a simulation of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was offered at the DiMTEC offices. 

According to Prof Andries Jordaan, Head of DiMTEC, the exercise was based on a variety of actual scenarios that had previously taken place elsewhere in the Free State. The exercise simulated a train and bus accident on the Thaba Nchu road. “Using an incident like this keeps the training realistic and relevant,” he said.

In these exercises the work of different departments, including South African Police Services (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Transnet, Spoornet, Traffic Department, and Eskom are coordinated. “We would like to work with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to implement a uniform Incident management system in South Africa where all departments speak the same language and have the same understanding of the role and responsibilities of a command structure,” Prof Jordaan said.

Accredited training the outcome
In 2017 Prof Jordaan, General Elias Mahlabane from the SAPS, and Johan Breytenbach from the FSUFPA, attended an incident command course in California in the US. They were introduced to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in the US. The system was implemented after lessons learned during 9/11. “According to the NIMS structure, all government organisations at all levels, as well as emergency agencies, had to standardise terminology and systems,” said Prof Jordaan.

Insight gained during the visit and a work relationship with the United State Forest Services, provided Prof Jordaan and Breytenbach the necessary background to conduct training for incident management teams.

Currently DiMTEC is offering accredited ICS 100, 200 and 300 courses. To qualify as incident command managers, students need to attend the ICS courses together with the practical training. As part of the training they also need to shadow a qualified ICS manager during two real incidents. These courses are taking place in conjunction with the FSUFPA. 

News Archive

Phemelo crowned Miss Free State 2017
2017-06-09

Description:Mej Vrystaat, Phemelo Lekale Tags: Mej Vrystaat, Phemelo Lekale

Phemelo Lekale, a second-year BCom Accounting
student at the University of the Free State, is the
newly crowned Miss Free State 2017.
Photo: Wiaan Coffee Photography

“To me, this pageant is about empowering young women. It helped me realise my strengths and weaknesses; it taught me how I can overcome my weaknesses and use my strengths to the best of my ability.”

This is exactly what second-year BCom Accounting student Phemelo Lekale sets out to do during her reign as Miss Free State 2017.

Bring about change and make a difference

The Miss Free State pageant aims in assisting young women to reach out to their communities and charities to bring about change. The pageant also aims to make a difference in somebody’s life.

Phemelo, who takes over from last year’s Kovsie winner Mienke van Rooyen, said that she needed to grow and learn as an individual, and that is exactly what the Miss Free State platform gave her.

Excited about the opportunities lying ahead

When the announcement was made, Phemelo was filled with so many mixed emotions she only realised she was the new Miss Free State when Mienke handed over the sash. “It felt like someone was saying ‘yes, I believe in you and the vision that you proposed to bring to the table’.”

Phemelo said she was excited about the opportunities that came with being Miss Free State and the impact that this brand would have on society. “By the end of my reign, I won’t be the same woman I was when I entered and neither will I be the same woman I was when I won the crown.”

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