Source: Radio New Zealand
Volunteer firefighters will respond to 111 calls during the strike hour. RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Fire and Emergency will be relying on volunteer crews to fight fires in the main centres on Boxing Day between midday and 1pm, as its paid staff go on strike.
Talks between the fire service and the Professional Firefighters’ Union broke down, and the Employment Relations Authority this month sent them into facilitation.
The union said Fire and Emergency could come to the table outside that process, but the employer said it had no plans to do so.
It said its volunteer firefighters will respond to 111 calls during the strike hour, but it was also asking people to be careful when doing anything that could start a fire.
Meanwhile, firefighters have put out a grass fire on the bank of the Waimakariri River near Swannanoa, north of Christchurch.
The fire was reported just after 11pm on Thursday and when firefighters arrived, they found a blaze of about 80 by 10 metres.
It took three hours and three tankers to extinguish the grass fire, which was fanned by high winds.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
