Garden Route District Municipality and Fire & Rescue Services through the Skills Mecca programme completes the first ever External Integrated Summative Assessment for Firefighting in South Africa, in collaboration with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA).

Students pictured with the LGSETA External Integrated Summative Assessment Facilitators and Invigilators, front centre, Ms Gillian Tobin, front right, Ms Mpume Madondo, back right, Mr Donald Mathebula and far right, Mr Albert Sekhwela.

Also in picture on the far left, is Mr Daniel Dippenaar, Station Commander: Fire Safety & Training, who took over as lead facilitator from the now retired, Mr Brian Afrikander, and successfully saw out the last quarter of the program.

The External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) is the final assessment managed and conducted by the Quality Partner/Assessment Quality Partner; and is utilised to assess all learners nationally. Through the EISA learners demonstrate their competence against the Exit Level Outcomes of the Qualification. Entry into the EISA is granted based on  a Statement of Results (SoR) issued by the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP), that is the Garden Route District Municipality in this instance.

On 22 August 2024, the EISA were conducted at the Calitzdorp Hot Springs, which is also accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupation as a Training Assessment Centre.

Furthermore, in August 2023 the Garden Route District Municipality Fire & Rescue Services commenced with the implementation of the Occupational Certificate: Firefighting: 98991 at NQF level 04. This national qualification  is achieved through a training program offered by an accredited fire training institution or a fire department.

The Garden Route District Municipality obtained accreditation as a Skills Development Provider for this qualification in September 2022. This was due to the collaborative efforts of the Garden Route Skills Mecca unit and the Fire & Rescue Services.

The qualification bears 149 credits, equating to 1490 notional hours of learning, and in effect a total of 187 days of training, including classroom study, assignments and examinations. Occupational qualifications have the following components.

• Knowledge (Theory) Modules
• Practical Skills Modules
• Workplace (experience) Modules

This qualification meets the need for qualified entry-level firefighters capable of responding to both structural and incidental emergency situations in South Africa.. The qualification has been developed in compliance with the South African National Standards, particularly Community Protection against Fire (SANS 10090:2003). This SANS standard, in turn, gives normative references to seven National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards that are registered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The most relevant NFPA standards for this qualification are NFPA 1001 and 472.

The International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) is an international organisation that accredits over 100 Fire Service Providers internationally basing its accreditation on NFPA standards.

This qualification has been compared against four NFPA certificates which deal with entry-level firefighter requirements, namely:

• Fire fighter 1.
• Fire fighter 2.
• Dangerous goods awareness.
• Dangerous goods operations

This entry-level qualification is designed for individuals starting a  a career in the emergency services, particularly fire and rescue services. It is suitable for learners from formal schooling and/or employees who are currently employed as fire fighters or individuals performing firefighting related activities.

The comparability study conducted indicates that the Occupational Certificate: Firefighter compares favourably with the standards advocated by the USA and the UK for fire-fighters’ qualifications.

Successful completion of this qualification equips learners with foundational competencies in emergency services, firefighting, rescue operations, victim care and protection of property and the environment, as well as generic skills in workplace processes. The development of this qualification has also taken into account the need to integrate some additional exit level outcomes into this qualification that apply specifically to Fire and Rescue Services in South Africa. The main difference is that the embedded knowledge has been adapted to reflect the South African conditions, relating to the typical construction of buildings in this country.

The completion and attainment of this qualification will benefit learners in terms of employment in various public as well as private sectors as they will be in possession of the required skills. The employment of qualified learners by the industry will benefit both the communities and the South African economy at large.

The program involved 24 participants from across the district, with three (3) members from the Bitou Municipality, five (5) members from the Knysna Municipality, two (2) members from the Mossel bay Municipality, three (3) members from the Kannaland Municipal area, three (3) members from the Oudtshoorn Municipal area, two (2) members from the Hessequa Municipal area, as well as six (6) members from the George Municipal area. It is a very good example of how the Skills Mecca program continues to lead skills development throughout the district in a collaborative, cooperative and integrated manner.

The EISA will conclude with a passing out parade on the morning of 27 August 2024, from where the graduates of this programme will be eligible for work opportunities locally and abroad

Students undertaking their final assessment for the External Integrated Summative Assessment

A happy and relieved group of students after the completion of their final assessment End.