Key Takeaways
- Volunteer firefighters in Auckland say they joined to serve their local communities, not to act as a backup for Fire and Emergency during career‑staff strikes.
- Long travel times during strike periods often mean volunteers arrive after incidents have concluded, reducing the effectiveness of their response.
- Some brigades have formally or informally declared themselves unavailable outside their usual areas during strikes, a move that has “ruffled a few feathers” within the service.
- The February 20 fire at Northcote College—which destroyed the school’s sports pavilion—illustrated the strain, as multiple volunteer units responded while career firefighters were on strike.
- Fire and Emergency states it has not received any formal requests from volunteers about limiting their response area, and maintains that 111 calls will still be answered, albeit with delayed times in affected zones.
- Volunteer leaders warn that the lack of rescue tenders during recent stoppages creates a “pretty big risk” to the public, especially for motor‑vehicle accidents requiring cutting equipment.
- Union officials acknowledge volunteers’ frustrations, attributing the situation to inadequate planning and organisational shortcomings by Fire and Emergency.
- The ongoing industrial action—now approaching fifty stoppages—centres on pay, equipment, staffing, resourcing, and workplace health and safety, with career firefighters working without a contract for over two years.
- Both volunteers and union representatives call for a prompt return to bargaining to alleviate the extra burden placed on volunteers and to ensure public safety during strike periods.
Volunteer Motivation and Local Focus
Auckland volunteer firefighters have made it clear that their primary reason for joining the service is to protect and assist their own neighbourhoods, not to fill gaps left by striking career staff. One volunteer, speaking to the Herald, emphasized that they “haven’t joined to respond to the other side of Auckland, to leave our jobs to do that.” The sentiment reflects a broader belief among many brigades that volunteerism should remain community‑centric, allowing members to contribute locally without being pulled into distant, strike‑related deployments that diverge from their original commitment.
Travel Delays and Reduced Effectiveness
Because volunteer units often must travel considerable distances to reach incidents outside their immediate area, they frequently arrive after the emergency has already peaked or concluded. The volunteer noted that “by the time we get there, generally the event has come to some sort of conclusion, whether the building’s burnt down or the person having a heart attack is dead.” This delay undermines the potential impact of their response and raises questions about the efficiency of deploying volunteers far from home during strike periods.
Operational Disruption and Personal Sacrifice
Responding to calls beyond their usual jurisdiction forces volunteers to abandon work or personal responsibilities mid‑day, a situation they did not anticipate when signing up. “Having to often drop tools in the middle of the day to respond to calls which are well outside of our community… it’s not why we signed up to do this,” the firefighter explained. The disruption not only affects their livelihoods but also contributes to growing frustration among volunteers who feel their goodwill is being exploited to mitigate organisational shortfalls.
Northcote College Fire as a Case Study
The February 20 blaze at Northcote College, which destroyed the school’s sports pavilion, served as a tangible example of the pressures volunteers face during strike action. Multiple volunteer brigades from across Auckland were dispatched to the scene while career firefighters participated in strike action. The incident highlighted both the willingness of volunteers to assist and the logistical strain of coordinating a widespread response when regular staff are unavailable.
Formal and Informal Availability Decisions
In the aftermath of such events, at least one volunteer brigade has formally communicated to Fire and Emergency management its decision not to respond outside its designated area during strike periods. Other brigades have taken a similar stance informally, rendering themselves “unofficially unavailable” for external calls. This collective pushback has reportedly “ruffled a few feathers” within the broader firefighting community, signalling a growing tension between volunteer expectations and organisational demands.
Fire and Emergency’s Official Stance
When approached by the Herald, Fire and Emergency stated it had not received any formal requests from volunteer brigades across Auckland regarding limitations on their response area during strikes. The agency reiterated its assurance to the public that “all 111 calls will be received and responded to during strike periods,” though it acknowledged that response times could be delayed in impacted areas as volunteers would need to travel from the next closest location. Fire and Emergency also expressed appreciation for volunteers’ dedication while acknowledging the added pressure caused by continued strike action.
Views on Union Support and Indirect Pressure
The volunteer firefighter stressed that his brigade’s decision to limit external responses is not a direct endorsement of the union’s strike actions. While they “certainly do” support career Fire and Emergency staff, the motivation is not to back the union but to protect their own community and personal wellbeing. He noted that the industrial action “doesn’t directly affect us as volunteers, but indirectly it certainly puts a lot more pressure on us, which is certainly not something that we signed up for as volunteers,” underscoring the unintended consequences of prolonged strikes on the volunteer sector.
Concerns Over Rescue Tender Availability and Public Risk
A particular point of alarm raised by volunteers is the recent unavailability of rescue tenders—specialised engines equipped with cutting equipment for motor‑vehicle accidents—during a strike period last month. With all career staff off duty and the volunteer brigades that normally operate those appliances also rendered unofficially unavailable outside their normal areas, Auckland faced a notable gap in critical rescue capability. The volunteer described this scenario as a “pretty big risk” to public safety, highlighting how the loss of specialised resources can endanger lives during emergencies that require rapid extrication.
Union Perspective and Broader Strike Context
Martin Campbell, Auckland local secretary and national vice‑president of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU), empathised with the volunteers’ frustrations, agreeing that they “didn’t sign up to do this.” He attributed the situation to a lack of foresight and planning by Fire and Emergency, warning that if more brigades refuse to respond outside their areas, the risk to New Zealanders during strike stoppages will continue to rise. Campbell noted that the union’s industrial action—initiated in October of the previous year over pay, equipment, staffing, resourcing, and workplace health and safety—has escalated from weekly one‑hour stoppages to twice‑weekly actions, now approaching fifty separate stoppages. Career firefighters have been working without a contract for over two years and have not received a pay rise in three years, factors that have fuelled the protracted dispute.
Outlook and Calls for Resolution
Both volunteer representatives and union leaders urge a swift return to negotiations to alleviate the mounting pressure on volunteers and to safeguard public safety during strike periods. Volunteers hope that resolving the underlying grievances—fair compensation, adequate equipment, sufficient staffing, and improved workplace safety—will reduce the need for frequent strikes, thereby allowing them to fulfil their original community‑focused mission without being thrust into extended, long‑distance deployments. Until such a resolution is reached, the tension between volunteer expectations and organisational demands remains a critical issue for Auckland’s fire services.