Source: Radio New Zealand
PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the cuts are “short sighted” and will “impact FENZ’s ability to deal with emergencies and prevent future emergencies.” RNZ
Just as the heat from a startling clash between a firefighter and the deputy prime minister was abating, Fire and Emergency has launched the biggest restructure in its eight-year existence, propelled, it says, by uncertain funding and the ravages of climate change.
RNZ has obtained a 266-page change proposal in which Fire and Emergency (FENZ) expresses sympathy and support for the at least 140 people slated to lose their jobs. Unions say the proposal poses many risks and will decimate the agency most relied on for first response in emergencies.
The changes were not personal, said chief executive Kerry Gregory at the start of the hefty document that workers had two weeks to make feedback on, a short period unions had asked to be extended.
“I know for some of you, the changes we are proposing may feel personal and disrespectful towards the amazing effort you put in. They are not,” he wrote.
Paid firefighters escaped the proposed cuts, as did 111-call handlers, but they said they would lose support people the community relied on.
The scrapping of the five-region structure had the Fire Emergency Commanders Association (FECA) questioning who would do the regions’ work, and cuts to risk reduction teams left the Professional Firefighters’ Union (NZPFU) expressing surprise.
“What they do is core work,” national PFU vice president Martin Campbell told RNZ.
Des Irving, secretary of FECA, said, “Our concern would be the workload that regions did – where is that going to? And resourcing.”
Fire Emergency Commanders Association secretary Des Irving. RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The restructure proposes the existing 17 fire districts remain but organised in a different way.
Gregory said the changes, that would “touch” about 700 roles in some way, were carefully thought out and an essential adaptation to a rapidly changing operating environment – which they were open to alter in December after feedback.
“They are in no way a reflection of your ability or commitment at an individual level,” he said in the change proposal document given to staff on Wednesday afternoon.
“Every proposed change in this document is intended to ensure Fire and Emergency remains adaptable and sustainable for the communities we serve, now, and in the years ahead.”
The uncertainties around revenue were unprecedented for the agency set up in 2017 by merging rural and urban fire services. FENZ had almost $800 million in levies revenue in 2024-25 (up from under $400m in 2017 at its advent), and about $40m from other sources.
The insurance industry argued it should be funded from government through taxation, just like police; otherwise, property owners were hardest hit.
“The amount of change proposed is significant,” said Gregory.
“‘Changes in climate are changing what we are responding to, and technological advancements are informing the ways we respond.”
Earlier FENZ told RNZ, which revealed the coming restructure last week, that it would not cut frontline jobs or the range of what it responds to, including no pull back from its “additional” duties as laid down in law that included flood rescue and responding to medical emergencies and traffic accidents.
“The reality of our rapidly evolving operating environment, the variability of our levy revenue and the need have space [sic] to reinvest, reinforces the need for us to make smart, disciplined choices,” Gregory said.
Fire and Emergency chief executive Kerry Gregory. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The PSA’s national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons urged the government to step in to stop what she called the “decimation” of FENZ.
She put the proposed cuts at 169 roles – the calculations are a little complex around disestablished roles versus newly established roles – and said that amounted to 13 percent of non-firefighter jobs, more than twice as big as the six percent or so cuts applied across large parts of the public service recently.
It was far ahead of the cuts of civilian jobs at Defence, for instance, she told RNZ.
“FENZ is telling its workers to do more with less, which will impact FENZ’s ability to deal with emergencies and prevent future emergencies.”
The change document said it was about streamlining an overly complex set-up that diverted resources from the front line.
“Decision-making shifts to those delivering services, enabling faster, clearer responses, empowerment and accountability.”
This was achieved in part by “removing the regional layer”; FENZ has five regions currently. But while it talked about “empowering” the existing 17 districts, it also said a more standardised approach would be secured “through a centralised capability”.
Firefighters spoken to by RNZ said they feared the agency would become more, not less, top heavy with national headquarters in Wellington assuming more power.
Annual reports in recent years showed firefighters mostly hitting their targets for getting to emergencies, such as within eight minutes in cities.
FENZ has about 1800 paid firefighters, 12,000 volunteers and 1200 corporate and support staff.
It proposed to separate out the training of volunteers from paid fire crews, to “improve consistency”.
A technical lead for volunteers would be set up, and an operations hub.
Irving said it was up to FECA to help bring in the changes, though questions remained.
“But I stress the timelines are really tight. If they want quality feedback, we have already asked for longer,” Irving told RNZ.
He counted about 20 FECA members’ roles impacted, with about half of those disestablished. It was not clear if those had pathways to stay on at FENZ, Irving said.
The PSA counted over 40 roles to go in both ‘Operational Response’ and risk reduction.
Campbell said risk reduction was about stopping fires before they started, with the teams checking on buildings’ evacuation schemes and ensuring they were maintained.
Risk reduction personnel were key to raising the alarm about dodgy fire protection and practices after fires at some motels used for emergency accommodation in the Bay of Plenty two years ago.
A burned-out corridor in Berkenhoff Lodge, Taupō, where fire investigators found multiple safety breaches. FENZ
The change proposal argued it was taking “a prevention first approach” under a proposed Fire Safety directorate, to “realign team and reporting lines and consolidate community risk, fire safety, regulatory activities, and training delivery and development to provide greater accountability and consistency”.
The existing service delivery wildfire manager role and the risk reductions and investigations manager role would go, and a manager fire safety would come in.
The PSA said FENZ wanted to cut four wildfire jobs just as the smoke was clearing from the big blaze at Tongariro National Park.
RNZ revealed on Wednesday FENZ is in a pay dispute with three of its leading experts in fighting wildfires from the air, who withdrew from any after-hours work well prior to Tongariro. FENZ said it made no difference to putting out that fire.
The breakdowns of fire engines earlier prompted Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour to downplay them and accuse the NZPFU of playing them up during its ongoing industrial dispute over pay and conditions with FENZ, prompting senior firefighter Steven Devine to tell Morning Report that Seymour had bad information and challenge him to meet him at any fire station. Union members have affixed “Dire Emergency” signs to the front of many trucks. Later, Seymour said more upgrades were needed.
FENZ said it had added scores of trucks since 2017. The largest number of those are utes.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
