FSA continues to work towards securing sundry income from a number of sources to lighten the financial burden on our members. One of the sources of funding to support training and education initiatives being the FP&M SETA. Over the years we have been privileged to receive tremendous support from our Sector SETA. In one of the last allocations for the year 2022/23, we are happy to report the FP&M SETA granted R300 000.00 to FSA. The funding will be utilized for a firefighting training intervention led by Forestry South Africa. Although we secured less than we hoped, the funds will help to train two community-based initial reaction firefighting teams on basic firefighting skills. A total of about 40 learners will be empowered through this intervention. Such interventions have not only reduced crop damage from veld and forest fires and injuries or casualties during firefighting among the small-scale timber growers and community plantations, but also teach responsible prescribed burning contributing to preparation for the fire season.

FSA’s efforts to couple the training with fire awareness for the broader community in partnership with Working on Fire is an added advantage. The impact of these funds is greatly amplified by FSA’s efforts to persuade local and district municipalities to support the trained communities with hand tools, including fire beaters, rake hoes, wajax pumps, etc. In some areas, local municipalities have supported communities with fire fighter units (bakkie sakkies) mounted on tractor-drawn trailers. This excellent partnership ensures that sufficient and relevant firefighting equipment is handled by well-trained people in response to a fire situation. We would like to congratulate our Messrs Norman Dlamini and Nathi Ndlela of our Business Development Unit for securing the funding.