Fire and Emergency NZ restructures to meet changing demands

The Whanganui Brigade will unite with others all across the Manawatū after Fire and Emergency restructures its organisation. Photo / Bevan Conley

A nationwide restructure of Fire and Emergency NZ has gone into effect, creating New Zealand's first unified firefighting organisation.

The firefighting organisation now becomes 17 new districts, replacing a historic split where there were 24 urban areas and 18 rural fire districts across the country.

Under the new structure, all brigades and stations will sit together under their respective district managers.

Newly appointed Manawatu-Whanganui district manager Nigel Dravitzki said the organisation would now be able to better respond to the communities' needs.

"We have transitioned a bit in terms of the types of incidents we attend due to a number of things.

"But we are getting more medical calls and more special services like flooding.

"It was an appropriate time to bring together what was 40 plus organisations, including rural and urban areas, into one organisation so we can get better community outcomes."

Dravitzki has been a part of firefighting organisations for more than three decades, including leadership roles in both private and public sector organisations.

Prior to the new structure announced on Monday, FENZ maintained a similar leadership structure to the organisations that preceded it. Area managers led urban-focused brigades and stations, and principal rural fire officers led rurally focused brigades.

He said the restructure won't impact Whanganui on any responses or equipment that the town has.

"There is no direct impact about how we go out of the door now."