Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group, and John Smit, CEO of SSG Holdings, were hoisted into the air for an unfiltered conversation about leadership, risk, and the future of South Africa’s emergency services. The stunt highlighted the scale of Fidelity SecureFire’s frontline capabilities and the strength of the new partnership between Fidelity and SSG, which is reshaping the risk solution industry, Fidelity said in a statement.

“From up here, you see everything differently, the risks, the possibilities, and the responsibility,” said Bartmann during the aerial interview. “This is more than an investment in equipment; it’s a declaration that we will rise to protect South Africans when it matters most.”

The aerial stunt also honoured the daily courage of first responders who regularly work at great heights to save lives.

The event comes just weeks after Fidelity Services Group acquired a majority shareholding in SSG Holdings in a strategic partnership that is transforming South Africa’s integrated security and emergency services landscape.

The 32-metre hydraulic platform ladder can reach the 10th floor of most buildings. With its 400 kg-capacity rescue basket and advanced reach, it brings global standards of readiness into the private sector, extending Fidelity SecureFire’s ability to respond to high-rise and complex urban fires, making it the country’s most comprehensive private emergency response provider, Fidelity said.

The ladder joins SecureFire’s national fleet of 32 fire engines and water tankers, 34 Rapid Intervention Units, and 600 first responders across 19 regional offices.

“By bringing Fidelity and SSG together, we’ve created South Africa’s most advanced private protection capability,” said Bartmann. “It’s about much more than business; it’s about national readiness.”

Fidelity SecureFire is a full-spectrum fire services solution with offices across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. Every Fidelity SecureFire deployment is backed by the Fidelity Fire National Command Centre, a 24/7 operations hub using real-time data, GIS mapping, and fleet analytics to ensure optimal coordination and resource deployment.

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