Firefighters want cash for drug callouts

The Professional Firefighters' Union says the Fire Service also deserves more Government money for its growing role in drug-lab busts.

Secretary Derek Best said firefighters were nearly always asked by police to attend because of the risk of fire from the chemicals and because they were trained in decontamination and carried the necessary equipment.

He said the Fire Service was only funded for firefighting - from a levy on insurance - but an increasing amount of work was attending road crashes and drug-lab busts.

"That takes away from the resources we have to do the work we are funded for, which is to fight fires."

But Fire Service national commander Mike Hall said staff were well prepared to cope with the growing number of callouts relating to drug labs.

"The assistance we are giving police with the growth of speed labs is not stretching our resources at all."

- NZPA

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