Fire brigades fear trucks could go in shakeup

Fire trucks may be cut at some stations as the Fire Service introduces a new system to distribute its 800-strong fleet.

The service's national operations director, Steve Turek, said yesterday the likely impact of its proposed "fleet strategy" was not yet known and consultation was still to be done.

He would present the strategy to the United Fire Brigades Association conference in Temuka, south Canterbury, later this month.

But the Herald understands fire brigades are growing increasingly concerned with the yet-to-be-released strategy and what it would mean, especially for rural areas. The concerns include a suspicion the strategy's aim is to cut the fleet's size.

Association president Dave Macfarlane said yesterday he did not know what the service proposed.

But he was sure every community would be worried if there were cuts to fire truck numbers, because that would affect response times.

Mr Turek said the strategy was a five-year plan covering maintenance, use and deployment. It aimed for a consistent model to match appliances to the risks in communities.

He said the strategy was not about reducing appliances in volunteer brigades but it was "possible" some stations might have appliances taken away. It was also possible some stations might end up with more appliances.

But Mr Turek said the service would not slavishly follow the results of the model and he would be talking to the conference about the consultation process.

Asked how many more or less appliances the model would mean for New Zealand, Mr Turek said he could not yet say.

He said appliances were allocated to brigades through a model dating back to before the Fire Service was nationalised in 1976, when communities owned their fire services through local fire boards.

The Minister responsible for the Fire Service Commission, Mark Burton, said last night the purpose of the process was to ensure equity of services around the country.

"Far from it being about stripping things out, it's about working towards a model which ensures we get the best forward planning."

Suggestions the strategy was a scheme to cut resources in rural communities were "scaremongering".

"This is a process that will roll out over years. There will be consultation every step of the way. It's about ensuring the best possible coverage of appropriate appliances across New Zealand."

But National's MP for Karapiro, Lindsay Tisch, said it would be unacceptable for rural stations to be downgraded. He compared the issue to the recently-dumped ACC plan to cut the number of rescue helicopters in the central North Island.

"It's a nail in the coffin for voluntary brigades. Where there are two machines they are looking at reducing to one."

Mr Tisch said it was also unacceptable for volunteer brigades to be forced to hand over their machines to professional brigades, as local communities had raised money for extra firefighting gear.

"When they take those engines away there's going to be a lack of service ... and volunteers are going to say 'why should I bother?'."

In answers to written parliamentary questions Mr Burton denied there was any intention in the next 12 months to reduce the number of fire trucks in volunteer brigades.

New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union secretary Derek Best said he had not heard of any proposals to cut volunteer brigade appliances.

The union, which represents paid firefighters, had heard paid firefighter coverage would be extended to areas where volunteers were overstretched.

Shake-ups of the Fire Service are not new. In the late 1990s, Fire Service Commission chairman Roger Estall attempted a radical restructure which would have seen 1575 firefighters sacked to apply for 300 fewer positions in community safety teams.

The plan was blocked by the Employment Court, which accused the commission of acting unethically, and the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Last year, the Government came under pressure when an ACC draft air ambulance strategy left the future of rescue helicopters in Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Palmerston North and Nelson in doubt.

Last month ACC Minister Ruth Dyson announced the dumping of the plan.

Fire tally

The Fire Service has:

* About 440 fire stations with about 800 fire appliances.

* 1700 paid and 11,000 volunteer firefighters.