Northland's three busiest fire stations attended more non-fire related calls than actual fires last year, as the service is overhauled for the first time in 40 years to reflect the "dramatically" different service it provides.
The New Zealand Fire Service, National Rural Fire Authority, and more than 40 Rural Fire Authorities are merging in a $300 million transition to form a unified organisation - Fire and Emergency New Zealand - from July 1, 2017.
This included all of Northland's fire stations, in an attempt to bring the service into the 21st century, said the fire service's chief executive and national commander Paul Baxter.
The fire service's current legislation dated back to 1975 - much of which was carried over from the 1940s - and doesn't reflect the modern challenges it faces, Mr Baxter said.
"It's well past its use-by date. The firefighter's role has changed dramatically from 40 years ago, from predominantly just fighting fires to doing all of the other emergencies and [activities] that are required."