Jo'burg Fire Dept. oblivious to reported danger

On the night of 14 to 15 Feb. I noticed that the counterweights of a crane on a construction site on Biermann Ave. had started shifting and were at risk of breaking free.<br> <br> The danger in this is twofold. Firstly, these are heavy slabs of concrete suspended high up in the air. Falling to the ground they will have the effect of a small bomb, smashing anything below and showering everything close-by in fragments. Then, sans counterweights the crane could topple over right onto Rosebank taxi rank.<br> <br> I went to report this to the shift-leader at nearby Rosebank fire station, assuming them to be best equipped to asses & avert such technical risks. The shift-leader seemed utterly unprepared to take action and indeed asked me what I, the civilian, wanted him to do. Suggesting to secure the site and notify the construction company I was told that I best notify them myself, and that was that.<br> <br> Went back on site for some time, eventually finding a number to call. At no time did the fire dept. arrive and I doubt they ever did. The construction company, who I managed to alert called back the next morning taking my statement, which is standard SHEQ procedure in case of accidents & near-misses.<br> <br>