KEY POINTS:
Fire engines in Wellington will be inspected today after two rear wheels came off a fire truck at the weekend, causing it to skid along a busy road on its axle.
Checks of all trucks in the Wellington region were immediately ordered, and today managers throughout the country will be advised of the incident.
Acting national commander Paul McGill said Wellington was the Fire Service's priority as tyres on all the region's fire appliances were handled by the same company, and the incident appeared to be maintenance-related.
"There is every indication at this stage that the wheels came off as a result of wheel nuts loosening and coming off."
The investigation would be carried out by an independent engineer. A union representative would also be involved.
"We expect that the investigation will be completed fairly quickly and if it turns out there is some broader concern then we will pass that straight on," Mr McGill said.
The truck involved is believed to be 20 years old and to have been used as a relieving appliance in Wellington stations.
On Saturday it was based at the fire station in the hill suburb of Brooklyn and was driven across town to a station in the southern suburbs.
It was on its way back to Brooklyn and near the busy Mt Victoria tunnel when the wheels came loose. Three cars were hit, but no one was injured. The incident caused major traffic delays on Ruahine St, the main road to Wellington Airport.
Professional Fire Fighters Union Wellington branch president Ian Wright said the incident was disturbing and could have been much worse.
"I'm sure the potential of what could have happened has stirred them [the Fire Service] into action," he said.
"We just can't have wheels falling off fire engines ... We're supposed to be saving lives, not creating more hazards.
"It was a really frightening thing and the driver was quite shaken after that. It could have come off and hit pedestrians, or a car could have swerved and had a head-on collision."
