31 July 2023 – 31 July 2026
Three Years Without You.
On 31 July 2026, exactly three years had passed since we said goodbye to Asterix.
For those who only know the name from our emergency vehicles, uniforms, radios or community work, Asterix may simply appear to be the name of an organisation.
But behind that name is a very real story.
Asterix was never just a dog.
He was a companion, a shadow, family and one of the most loyal friends anyone could ask for.
To Jaco Rautenbach, Asterix was more than a beloved pet. He was loved like a child — a constant companion through difficult days, long nights and moments that very few other people ever saw.
A Fighter Until the End:
Asterix became seriously ill, but his determination never disappeared.
Everything humanly possible was done to help him, and throughout his illness he continued fighting.
He fought until the very end.
It was that determination — his unwillingness to simply give up — that would eventually become the inspiration behind something much bigger than anyone could have imagined at the time.
When the organisation that would become Asterix The Long Firefighting Dog NPC – Fire & Emergency Support Service needed a name, there could be no more meaningful choice.
It would carry his.
The Promise Behind the Name:
Asterix's name represents more than remembrance.
It represents a promise:
That we do not give up easily.
That when we respond to a fire, accident or emergency, we give everything we reasonably can.
That we stand with our community during difficult moments.
That we keep working when circumstances become challenging.
That we carry the fighting spirit represented by his name into the work we do.
Those principles became part of the identity of Asterix.
From One Life to a Living Legacy:
When Asterix passed away on 31 July 2023, nobody could have predicted what his name would eventually come to represent.
Three years later, his name travels on an emergency response vehicle.
It is heard over radios and through dispatch.
It appears on firefighting and emergency equipment.
It is worn on uniforms.
It is spoken when somebody reports a fire, accident or other emergency and asks for help.
His name has travelled to fire scenes, accident scenes, schools, community programmes and countless places he himself would never have known.
Every emergency response and every person assisted adds another small chapter to the legacy carried in his name.
Geronimo – A Living Connection:
Asterix's brother, Geronimo, remains part of the wider story today.
He is a living connection to the two dogs, the bond they shared and the history from which the Asterix name emerged.
Their story existed long before there were emergency vehicles, radios, firefighting equipment or an organisation carrying the name.
That history will always remain part of Asterix.
“I Wish You Could See What Your Name Has Become”
Three years later, the loss remains deeply personal.
There are milestones that bring enormous pride, but also the unavoidable thought that the one whose name started everything is no longer here to see them.
Asterix, I wish you could see what your name has become.
I hope that, wherever you are, you know how deeply you were loved and that you have never been forgotten.
You may no longer walk beside me, but you remain part of every step we take.
Every time the vehicle leaves for an emergency, your name goes with us.
Every time somebody calls Asterix for help, your name is spoken again.
And every time we refuse to give up when things become difficult, we honour the fighting spirit that inspired all of this.
Forever Carrying His Name
Three years without you.
Forever carrying your name.
Forever living by your fighting spirit.
Forever missing you.
Rest peacefully, my Long Dog.
31 July will always belong to you.
