Alleged Officership Overpayment

Further to the last notice regarding alleged Officership Allowance overpayments, it has become obvious that the Fire Service are confused or have manipulated the amounts sought to be repaid.

This is exactly the reason members have been advised to carefully check the Fire Service proposals and why the Union has sought for many years that any alleged over payment of wages be itemised on members payslips.

The issues relating to the Unions concerns will be detailed in a further notice.

Given the latest discrepancies with the repayments sought for the alleged Officership Allowance overpayment the Union recommends to members who may have commenced repayments or were considering this to cease paying any further amounts until all of the issues can be resolved with the Fire Service.

Close examination of the recent further demand from the Fire Service for the repayment of an alleged over-payment of the Officership Allowance is absolutely necessary.

The Union has sighted one such letter, which contains the following extraordinary details:

Hamilton Firefighters Trust Established

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union has kick-started the Hamilton Firefighters Trust fund with $20,000.

The Union formed the Charitable Trust to receive donations to provide financial support and assistance to the families of those killed or injured at the Tamahere fire.

NZPFU National Secretary Derek Best says that "this is a trust established by firefighters for firefighters". 

"Both the firefighters and their families directly involved in this tragedy will need a wide range of support for many months, and assistance from this trust will be of great help."

The Union established the Trust particularly to provide a formal legal structure to dispense the funds received.  The distribution of funds collected will be determined by those best to know the areas of need – Firefighters in Hamilton.

• Make a Donation to the Hamilton Firefighters Trust

Union Opens On-line Condolence Book

The Union has opened an on-line condolence book.  You can read the entries or send in your own condolence or tribute here.  Alternatively, you may email your messages of condolence directly to

• Click here to enter our online condolence book
• Read On-line Condolences
• Send in your Condolence or Tribute
• Make a Donation to the Hamilton Firefighters Trust

• Waikato Times photographer Mark Taylor was among those paying tribute to fallen fireman Derek Lovell at the Te Rapa Racecourse. His slideshow tribute is above.  Click here to open in a new window.  Thank you to Waikato Times for making this available for members.

Pacific Languages Grant

Assistance for Students Learning Pacific Languages

Applications are now being accepted for the Pacific Languages Grant. This grant is available to all personnel who are contemplating or currently learning any Pacific language. The grant is an initiative to enhance our organisation’s overall service delivery capability to the community and will be offered to applicants who would contribute to the ability of the New Zealand Fire Service to work more effectively with the main Pasifika speaking populations.

The grant will be available to assist with tuition fees, resources and operational cover directly related to your course.

Please send applications in ‘free format’ style detailing your course of learning to Beth Piggott, New Zealand Fire Service, P.O Box 2133, Wellington, or email beth.piggott@fire.org.nz before 4pm on Friday 6th June, 2008 for consideration.

For further information, please contact SSO Sulu Devoe at sulu.devoe@fire.org.nz or Station Officer Esitone Pauga at esitone.pauga@fire.org.nz

• Download Pacific Islands Languages Grant Guidelines

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