PHOTO CREDIT: NZ HERALD

Members will no doubt be aware of the major 5th Alarm fire that broke out last night on the North Shore. This fire had widespread impacts to people across Tamaki Makaurau with several Emergency Alerts having to be made. Additionally, our thoughts go out the local community, including the owner, tenants, and staff of the businesses impacted.

Once again, this fire has raised serious concerns about the state of the Fire and Emergency fleet. In the middle of the fire the large aerial ladder truck broke down stranding two highly experienced veteran firefighters in the basket over the fire, allowing them to be showered with burning embers and inundated with toxic smoke and combustion particles. 

Unfortunately all emergency backups and redundancies failed on the truck to rectify the fault resulting in the crew having to be rescued utilising another aerial appliance that had to be redirected from fighting the fire.

Due to the seriousness of the incident where two firefighters lives were directly placed at risk, the Union has requested that Fire and Emergency immediately impound the truck and begin a full and comprehensive investigation by a specialist team. The investigation terms of reference should include the circumstances leading up to the accident, including the servicing history of the truck, any recent repairs or issues raised by staff, training, emergency procedures, testing records, testing regime, quality assurance and any other issue the team believe may help. 

We hope that Fire and Emergency will do the right thing and immediately order for the truck to be impounded and withdrawn from service. Only once a comprehensive and full check of the appliance can be undertaken, including full servicing, repairs and testing of all operating systems of the vehicle, will this then determine if the vehicle is safe to use.  

Until such time as the above can take place members are advised that it is not in their interest to use this appliance (Callsign Auckland 205, Year 2011, Make Scania, Model P400, Rego GPH551) and under Section 83 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 you have the right to cease or refuse unsafe work. 

As well as this incident on the Type 6, we are also aware that the Type 5 aerial also broke down when it lost all hydraulic power through a major leak. This fault should also be investigated to find the circumstances that led to this fault to ensure that it can be prevented from happening in the future. 

The Union is seriously concerned about the state of the aerial fleet. Whilst the Parnell aerial is due for replacement in the near future (a project that has taken over 5 years), this still leave us with an aging and unreliable fleet at City (year 2011), Ellerslie (year 2007), Papatoetoe (year 2010) and Te Atatu (year 2007). 

FENZ often likes to state “Fire and Emergency manages and maintains one of the largest fleets of commercial vehicles in the country. The public can be assured that the Fire and Emergency fleet is safe and suitable for the job. We service our appliances on a regular schedule to ensure they well maintained. When we do so, we provide a replacement appliance.” 

However, time and time again reality often presents a very different picture. 

The national aerial strategy, called for completion by the International Convention Centre independent review in 2020 still has not been undertaken. FENZ has already shown its lack of urgency on the aerial replacement as detailed on the Fleet replacement portal page:

Fire and Emergency has set up a Fleet Replacement Programme to go to market for the next generation of the following appliances in this order:

• Type 1 and 2 appliances including 4x4 versions
• Rural Single and Double Cab
• Type 4 aerial pumping appliances

- Showing Type 4 aerials that are at, or approaching the end of, their operational 20-year life, ranked as the lowest priority for replacement. 

As of this morning Tamaki Makarau has only one unreliable Type 5 and one Type 4 protecting New Zealand's largest and most populous city. The other trucks from Auckland City, Te Atatu and Papatoetoe all out of service due to break-downs, service or repairs.

Quite literally rather than having a “well maintained” fleet, the organisation is operating on the “smell of an oily rag” and has its priorities in the wrong place. Major servicing such as the 10 year rebuild and service of the aerials having been postponed by Fire and Emergency management, with many now several years overdue. This has meant that fleet service providers are stuck between a rock and a hard place and not allowed to do their job of servicing properly.

The people of Tamaki Makaurau, and New Zealand deserve much better from the organisations highly paid Chief Executive and Executive Leadership team. It is long past time for action from the Fire and Emergency Board. The Union believes that it is time for the Minister of Internal affairs to ask some hard and pointed questions of the board, and of the senior Fire and Emergency executives with explanations given to the public as to the future of our once proud emergency service.

• Pictured left to right: CEO Kerry Gregory, Board Chair Rebecca Keoghan, Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.

We look forward to Fire and Emergencies prompt action on this serious matter.