Media Release: 900 Additional Smoke Alarms Now Installed by Garden Route District Municipality and Stakeholders

8 July 2025

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) continues with its 10-year battery-life smoke alarm system installations within high fire risk informal settlements. This project was launched in the Garden Route during 2021. It has been a collaborative effort between the GRDM and local municipalities’ Fire Services, who identified areas based on historical call-out data, population density, access, and distances to fire stations.

According to Deon Stoffels, GRDM Fire Chief, “900 devices were recently installed in Smutsville within the Knysna municipal area (Lank Gewag, Skool Gaatjie, Beverly Hills, Makhaphela, Slangepark, Sukhumzamo, Onderste Gaatjie and Corona Valley). In 2024, 480 alarms were installed in Rheenendal and before that, in Kannaland too”.

Tydens ‘n besoek aan die Smutsville gemeenskap het Uitvoerende Burgemeester Andrew Stroebel met verskeie inwoners van Smutsville gesels. Magdalena Twick is een van die inwoners van Smutsville wat al drie keer haar huis verloor het. “Die laaste keer wat my woning afgebrand het is in 2023 en ek woon tans in ‘n tydelike woning wat deur Knysna Munisipaliteit opgerig is. Ek is dankbaar vir die brandalarmstelsel wat nou in my plekkie geïnstalleer is, want dit kan my enige tyd van die dag of nag waarsku teen ‘n moontlike brand”.

Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel, expressed his appreciation by saying: “We are deeply grateful to the Western Cape Provincial Government (WCG) Department of Local Government, under the leadership of Minister Anton Bredell, for funding this initiative with half a million Rand. It proves to the public that the WCG lends a helping hand when communities call for support. WCG also co-funded the Region’s Fire Station in 2024, supplementing the project with a R3 million shortfall, showing their further commitment to regional fire safety”.

“I’d also like to thank my MMC for Community Services, Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard, our Fire Chief Deon Stoffels and his team, Gerhard Otto, Manager for Disaster Management and his team, for making this project a reality on the ground with external stakeholders,” said Stroebel.

MMC Hoogbaard also visited Smutsville when the devices were installed in June. ”We know that fires can strike at any moment. This happens often with little to no warning, and these impacts can be deadly. In communities, where many homes are constructed from highly flammable materials and are densely placed, a single spark can become a disaster within minutes. Imagine losing crucial documents like ID documents, birth certificates, and other important records in a fire? This is why early detection is not just important, but lifesaving as well.”

Knysna Municipality’s Chief Fire Officer, Ian Bezuidenhout confirmed that all areas covered, historically receive a high number of fire-related callouts. The alarms are always installed in a central area of a structure, ideally located to detect smoke from all areas within a home. As soon as it detects smoke, it emits a loud sound to alert occupants of a potential fire and provides residents time to act for a quick and safe escape. It prevents the loss of life, assets and critical belongings. Residents are also educated to then contact their Firefighters for immediate assistance.

According to project leaders Heinrich Leslie, GRDM Station Commander and Lee-Ann Joubert, GRDM Disaster Management Coordinator, residents become instantly more alert, engaging, and receptive in terms of fire prevention, which contribute greatly to a culture of safety. “Fire alarms are not only installed at homes, but homeowners are also given valuable tips on how to prevent fires.”

In order for the implementation of the project to be successful, various role-players and individual efforts are necessary and are acknowledged. They are as follows.

• GRDM Fire & Rescue Services and Reserve (Volunteer) Firefighters;
• GRDM Disaster Management Unit;
• Working of Fire Personnel;
• Asivikelani Development Action Group (Vermisha Galant, Fregan Galant, and Keanan Lamienie);
• Knysna Municipality Integrated Human Settlements representative Eunis Vena; and
• The Western Cape Local Government Directorate Fire & Rescue Services and Disaster Management.

Editors’ note:

• In 2016 a Smoke Alarm Project was launched by Mr Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, developed by the Western Cape Fire and Rescue Services Directorate.
• We urge the business community to support and fund similar initiatives as Local Government unfortunately cannot fill all the gaps simultaneously, and naturally, due to the economic climate, communities resort to lower cost housing, and most often, informal housing expand, which naturally are susceptible to these fire related risks. For this purpose, please reach out to GRDM Chief Fire Officer, Deon Stoffels at deon@gardenroute.gov.za.
• The smoke alarms work with a DC3V lithium manganese battery. It is also recommended for the smoke detectors to be installed in corridors and starways, or in a unit outside a cluster of bedrooms.

Previous articles relating to this programme

• Informal settlements remain a priority – 1700 Smoke alarms installed to date
• Garden Route’s Smoke Alarm Initiative Shields Vulnerable Communities from Fires
• Garden Route District Municipality completes final phase of the installation of Smoke Detection Devices in Rheenendal

Feature image: Junice Vene (Ward Committee Member), Mayor Andrew Stroebel, Vermisha Galant (Asivikelani Development Action Group) and Lee-Ann Joubert (GRDM Disaster Management Officer), during the walk-about.