FENZ continues to fail New Zealanders

Following the devastating fire at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College on Sunday—where the Rotorua aerial truck broke down, necessitating a near two-hour delay for backup from Hamilton—the aerial appliance crisis has escalated further.

Four major North Island cities are now without life-saving Type 4 aerial appliances. As well as Rotorua, the New Plymouth, Palmerston North, and Gisborne aerials are all broken and out of service.

Just as we saw in Taupō, these communities now face hours of wait times for backup appliances to respond from Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui, or Hamilton.

Following the 2019 International Convention Centre fire in Auckland, Fire and Emergency NZ was directed to complete a National Aerial Strategy with urgency. Seven years later, that strategy is still to be completed. Instead, the organisation has prioritised corporate restructuring, cost-cutting, and the elimination of frontline emergency services to communities.

Chief Executive Kerry Gregory, who is also the National Commander responsible for providing New Zealand with a first-world fire emergency service, continues to fail to deliver at every step.

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