Fire Service hit back at union comments

The Fire Service says it is concerned about "misinformation" being promoted by the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union over the way it dealt with a blaze on the eighth floor of an Auckland University student hall.

Two fire appliances were initially called to O'Rorke Hall on Mount St, which usually houses about 350 students, shortly after 3pm when there was a fire in a bedroom. Eighteen appliances eventually attended.

There was also a fire on the eighth floor of a building on Auckland's Queen Street where people were sleeping and the sprinkler system did not operate.

The union says the incidents highlighted the "arrogant, short-sighted and dangerous" decision in April by the Fire Service to reduce responses of fire appliances and firefighters to many buildings throughout New Zealand fitted with sprinklers.

"It was always going to be a matter of when, not if, this new Fire Service policy would endanger the lives of the public and firefighters alike and put at greater risk those properties," the union said yesterday.

But Fire Service Auckland regional commander Brian Butt said the policy ensured more resources were available to respond to genuine emergencies which could happen while attending a false alarm.

"Yesterday's responses to two small fires in Auckland were handled exactly as the policy intended. There are no public safety issues.

Two appliances went to investigate, found signs of smoke and more appliances were called for immediately," he said in a statement.

The Fire Service was concerned at the misinformation being promoted by the union about the policy, he said.

- NZPA