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Hoedspruit Farmwatch offers the community a safety support service and will assist
and respond to emergency calls from their members in any situation that potentials
indicates a threat to life or property. Examples of the services offered include:
- Criminal activities (break-Ins, hijacking, armed robberies etc)
- Fires (house fires, veld fires and farm fires)
- Motor vehicle Accidents
- Rhino Poaching
Hoedspruit Farmwatch takes on both a Pro-active and a Re-active stance to incidents
in the area.
PATROLS
Undertaking proactive measures, Farmwatch does regular patrols around the region
in different sectors. Patrols are done by volunteers from the larger community
who are given a structured patrol duty roster and thus conduct regular patrols around
the region. These patrols and the ability to pick up on suspicious activity immediately
has resulted in a decrease of criminal incidents by 80% within the farming region.
REACTION UNIT
In addition to the regular patrols, Hoedspruit Farmwatch has an active and dedicated
Reaction Unit. The Reaction unit consists of approx 20 individuals who undergo
monthly training in various focus areas, from medical support to crime scene management,
fire fighting skills and techniques, legal issues around the bearing of fire arms
etc. The Reaction Unit is responsible for responding to emergency situations from
Motor Vehicle Accidents where they support with traffic and crowd control and ensure
that the emergency personell working within the incident zone are safe, through to
the armed response for any criminal attack or incident. Plaaswag Reaction Unit
has equipped themselves to support their necessary tasks such as:
- Bullet Proof Vests - Reaction Unit members who are first in line to respond to criminal
activiteis and incidents - including Rhino Poaching - are equipped with necessary
protection wear
- Farmwatch Trailer - Farmwatch has a fully equipped trailer that has a wide range
of equipment put together, that may be needed on any incident scene from lights and
generators, to tool kits, danger cones, etc The equipment has been put together
with the advice and assistance of Pieter Papsdorf from Hoedspruit Medical Rescue
who has had extensive experience in incident management and what is required on an
emergency scene
- Fire Fighting Trailer - As we are aware there are no immediate fire fighting services
in Hoedspruit apart from the airforce base who are required to respond to airforce
incidents first. Hoedspruit Farmwatch have developed a Fire Fighting “bakkie Sakkie”
on a trailer that is permanently full and on standbye together with a range of equipment
supplied that may potentially be required on a fire fighting scene. All reaction
unit members have been trained in the use of the equipment as well as in general
fire fighting skills.
- Lisa, our tracking Blood Hound (see below)
Hoedspruit Farmwatch have been very fortunate enough to have been donated a fully
trained tracking dog - LISA. Lisa is a blood hound and has undergone extensive
training in tracking skills and abilities. Two of our Reaction Unit Members, have
in turn spent the required training days with Lisa’s trainer learning not only how
to continue with Lisa’s training but how to read her methods of communication as
she is able to pick up on signs and tracks left behind by the criminals.
It is very important for all Hoedspruit members who have experienced a break-in,
to please contact farmwatch IMMEDAITELY - the sooner we can get her onto a scent
the easier it is for her to track it and secondly, for all Hoedspruiters to be aware
of staying out of the crime scene themselves and thus avoiding any contamination
of the criminals scent with there own, which will just make Lisa’s job a little harder.
Farmwatch are very greatful to Lisa’s sponsors - Spar and Provet. Spar support
Lisa through the donation of a 25kg bag of Food every month and Provet - one of the
leading veterinary services in Hoedspruit, have offered their support through the
free contributions of any veterinary requirements that Lisa may have.
As a community support organisation, Hoedspruit Farmwatch relies 100% on membership
payments for its regular source of income. Membership for Farmwatch is costed as
a very small R50 per month - either paid monthly or paid in a single annual upfront
payment of R600 per year.
WHAT DOES MEMBERSHIP GET YOU
Apart from the continued support of Farmwatch’s ability to react to any emergency
situation, as a member, you will be able to call on farm watch whenever you feel
your life, that of your families, or your property is under threat. Additionally,
as a paid up member, you will be issued with a letter stating as much and this will
allow for you to get the Farmwatch emergency channel installed on your Radio. This
will mean that should you find yourself in any threatening situation, a simple call
for help on the radio will result in the immediate response of the Farmwatch Reaction
Unit.
To apply for membership, please fill in the form below and attach the proof of payment
for your membership fees. Banking details are:
Hoedspruit Farm Watch
First National Bank
Hoedspruit (270652)
Account: 62286950954
Reference: Please write YOUR NAME
The Hoedspruit Plaaswag or Farmwatch, was originally initiated as a anti-theft organisations
dealing with crop theft on the farms, however, their efficient services and commitment
to the community have resulted in the management and control of a wide range of incident
management services and community support.
Hoedspruit Farmwatch were truly able to show their mettle during the recent Floods
in January 2012. Their coordination and and impressive reaction abilities, together
with their strong working partnerships with both the SA Police and the Airforce Base
Hoedspruit, resulted in measures being undertaken that can directly be attributed
to the successful record of ZERO deaths during the flood, despite the severity and
extensive damage caused within the greater area
