| Fireman earns bravery award |
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| Written by Rudo Mungoshi | |
| Monday, 21 July 2008 | |
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Rescuing a mother and two children from a burning building has earned a Joburg firefighter an award recognising his outstanding courage. 
Commendation: Malvern firefighter Themba Tshemese's bravery is acknowledged by Paul Longmoor, general manager of Wyeth Consumer Healthcare
A BRAVE firefighter, who risked his life to rescue a family trapped inside a burning shop, has been rewarded for his courage on 18 July. Themba Tshemese of Malvern Firestation beat four other regional finalists in a stiff competition to find Gauteng's most courageous emergency service provider. The award was made on 18 July at a ceremony held in Melville, to the northwest of the city centre. On 27 June, Tshemese, a volunteer at the time, was on ambulance duty when he came across a burning shop. People were trying desperately to extinguish the flames using buckets of water. He called for a fire brigade but the screams of those trapped inside the building forced him to take action immediately. Tshemese dashed into the burning building and safely brought out a mother and her two children. Speaking at the ceremony, Paul Longmoor, the general manager of Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, said the competition was held to recognise the courageous acts of emergency services field workers. "We owe it to our firefighters and emergency workers to support their efforts and honour their bravery," he said. The plan was to roll out the project nationally and give others the opportunity to get exposure for their act of bravery. Five regional finalists were able to their stories live on radio. The participants included the City of Johannesburg's emergency management services, Ekhuruleni's emergency management services, Tshwane's fire brigade services, ER24 and Netcare 911, the private companies. An overjoyed Tshemese said he was stunned with the gesture. "I am very honoured to receive this award ... and I am proud to do what I can do to support communities." The awards were made by Centrum, the health care company. Related stories: |
