With Eskom’s announcement yesterday that it is once again moving to Stage 6 at 16:00 today, the City’s transversal Disaster Operations Centre(DOC) will be activated at 16:00 today to manage any potential risks for the residents of Cape Town. The City will, however, protect customers in its supply areas and remain on Stage 4 for the remainder of today until 00:00 tonight.

The DOC is coordinated by the City’s Safety and Security Directorate with the activation and implementing of the DOC based on an approved operational plan with representatives from various City departments, including the 107 Emergency Communication Centre and the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre.

One of the main focus areas of the DOC is to identify critical areas which could pose a safety risk for communities during load-shedding. Another aspect closely monitored by CCTV cameras, are major traffic intersections affected by load-shedding where officers will be deployed to assist with traffic flow. All services are on standby to deal with possible public safety risks that may arise during higher stages of load-shedding. Eskom representation at the DOC is essential so that City departments can be notified firsthand of any changes to load-shedding.

Based on information received from officers on patrol, CCTV cameras and calls registered with the DOC will also mobilise emergency teams, especially at night, to assist where necessary.

‘The City’s Disaster Management Centre works closely with a host of other City departments and external role-players to ensure mitigation measures are in place to deal with load-shedding and the various stages as it unfolds. Last week’s activation of the DOC was critical as services settled in and had time to identify areas for improvement. Public safety will remain our main priority and our services will be placed on standby as the situation dictates. Residents should ensure that they are kept up to date with the latest load-shedding stage and plan accordingly. We request residents to report any incidents that could pose a threat, especially the vulnerable groups in our community,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

The public is reminded to keep at least one device charged during periods of load-shedding, in the event of an emergency so that they can call the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a land line.

While load-shedding mitigation dominated in the past week, the City’s enforcement services continued their normal deployments and operations, resulting in 233 arrests and 54 365 traffic and bylaw fines.

Traffic officers arrested 56 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Source: City Of Cape Town