Fire engine fleet may be cut by 80

The Fire Service may trim 80 appliances and relocate 250 in its 800-strong fleet.

In Parliament yesterday National MP Lindsay Tisch said the service was planning to cut up to 143 appliances.

And he tabled a draft of the Fire Service's proposed "fleet strategy" which said 54 new appliances would be bought - causing the relocation of 250 pumps.

United Fire Brigades Association president Dave MacFarlane said he had heard 140 appliances would be cut. When offset with the new machines, that meant a net loss of 80.

The review has worried brigades who are concerned it will increase response times, particularly in rural areas.

Mr MacFarlane said he had no concrete information about the plan, which is due to be presented to the association annual conference in Temuka this month. The association represents about 470 volunteer and professional brigades.

The draft strategy hints heavily at cuts, saying some "multi-pump locations" are recommended for review.

"Depending on the outcome of that review this may lead to a re-evaluation of pump appliance numbers.

"Appliance relocations and disposals will be inevitable as we work to get the actual fleet allocation aligning with the authorised fleet establishment."

But Fire Service national operations director Steve Turek last night denied that meant the fleet was facing cuts.

"Part of the re-evaluation is the suitability of appliances. It's about meshing the size, type and number of appliances.

" We have not done enough work in the modelling and everything else to indicate any changes in appliance rate, certainly in the short term anyway."

On Tuesday Mr Turek admitted it was "possible" some appliances may go. . It was also possible some stations may get more pumps.

Mr Tisch said a cloud was hanging over rural communities.

He said the Minister in charge of the Fire Service Commission, Mark Burton, must account for his denials of cuts and the differences between what he and Mr Turek were saying.