Tauranga Fire Station
The Tauranga Local is becoming increasingly concerned with the safety and functionality of Tauranga Fire Station and the inconsistency of information regarding its replacement.
The Tauranga Local is becoming increasingly concerned with the safety and functionality of Tauranga Fire Station and the inconsistency of information regarding its replacement.
In his August 2020 blog the National President Ian Wright called out FENZ’s leadership for failing to properly investigate allegations by women volunteer firefighters of sexual assault and intimidation by other volunteer firefighters including Chiefs. His blog was prompted by harrowing interviews with volunteer firefighters on Radio New Zealand.
Yesterday the NZPFU publicly called out FENZ CEO Rhys Jones, National Commander Kerry Gregory who had decided with the support of the Senior
Leadership group and the Board to disrespect the Employment Court by steaming ahead with appointment processes at the heart of the NZPFU
case.
FENZ CEO Rhys Jones and National Commander Kerry Gregory with the backing of the Senior Leadership team and the Board have decided to continue with its Tranche2 and 2B appointment processes.
FENZ has released its decisions from the re-consultation document. Basically, FENZ is steaming ahead with its proposals despite the feedback.
The NZPFU has been pushing for new protective flash hoods to be trialled as current hoods have not been reviewed for more than a decade.
Wellington and Hutt Valley firefighters turned out in force today to hear the legal arguments in the Employment Court.
Members are strongly encouraged to come to the public hearing of NZPFU case contesting FENZ’s appointment process for the positions established under Tranche 2 and 2B in the Employment Court this Wednesday.
There appear to be rogue variations of the FENZ protocols for Alert Levels 2 and 3 being circulated by some FENZ Managers.
In accordance with the Rules nominations were called for the position of Local Committee Member due to a casual vacancy arising on the Wellington Local.
Today FENZ National Commander Kerry Gregory released the attached Notice with links to the Protocols for Alert Level 3 (Auckland) and Protocols for Alert Level 2 (rest of NZ). The information on the FENZ portal is current and will be kept up to date.
As of midday (Wednesday 12 August) Auckland will be under Covid-19 National Level 3 restrictions with the rest of country under Covid-19 National Level 2 restrictions.
Please see the recent Facebook post from the Union about FENZ’s proposal to staff Levin with only 2 career staff.
FENZ is currently failing the Levin community. FENZ is not providing the emergency response that meets its own requirements or the community’s needs. FENZ recognises it needs to act to protect the community but its intention to supplement the volunteer brigade with a two-person career crew will still not meet the community’s needs and it will breach health and safety requirements.
I very rarely sleep well, in fact I can’t remember the last time I slept through a night. Last night was no exception as I struggled to process the Radio interview on Radio NZ and the harrowing recounting of sexual assaults suffered by 3 Volunteer Women Firefighters at the hands of male Volunteer Firefighters in separate incidents, and the clumsy reply by our CEO.
The NZPFU is proud to sponsor the Hawkes Bay Hundy relay run for mental health.
The NZPFU case contesting FENZ’s appointment process for the positions established under Tranche 2 and 2B will be heard in the Employment Court this month.
Please be advised that the following procedure has been agreed to in consultation with the Local and Area Management.
Our district hose layer based at Mount Maunganui Station is a valuable resource for the Bay of Plenty/Coast Fire District. It was secured through collaboration with like minded stakeholders and the determination of various Officers and Firefighters to provide an invaluable operational asset to our community.
FENZ has written to NZPFU acknowledging the contributions our members and representatives made to the Covid-19 response to date. National Commander Kerry Gregory specifically recognises the work of Wellington Local Secretary Alan Collett, Medical Response SME Justin Murtha and Hawkes Bay Local Vice President Warwick Le Quesne for their work with the FENZ Service Delivery Coordination Centre.
In October 2019 the NZPFU issued a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) under the Health and Safety at Work ACT 2015 to prevent the FENZ and St John Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from extending co-response to other incidents to be determined by St John. Our concerns included the lack of requisite training and/or qualifications for the increased scope in responses, and the unnecessary risk of emotional and psychological trauma.
The Local notes with disappointment the outcome of the failed Auckland Working Group.
By the closing date for nominations for the position of Whangarei Local President, the following nomination has been received.
Members are reminded that pursuant to Union Rule B.15.11, Local Annual General Meetings should, where possible, be scheduled for the month of August.
Members will be aware that for almost a year Auckland’s largest and newest Heavy Aerial Fire Truck has been away for repairs, meaning that the 25 year old Relief Turn Table Ladder (TTL) has had to be used as a front line response aerial in its place.
In 2018 FENZ and the NZPFU signed terms of settlement that included setting up a Taskforce to consider how to address FENZ’s inability to recruit and retain sufficient firefighters and the issues affecting all NZPFU members living and working in Auckland.
On 30 June and 1 July NZPFU and PSA representatives met with FENZ to discuss the Tranche 2 decisions and the “re-consultation” document and to commence negotiations for terms and conditions for the new proposed roles.
In accordance with the Rules nominations are called for the position of Local Committee Member due to a casual vacancy arising on the Wellington Local.
The AGM of the Tauranga Local Branch NZPFU will be held at Tauranga Fire Station, 9am on Friday 28th August 2020.
FENZ is rolling out an end-user trial of the unified station uniform but the firefighters involved in the trial have been told not to wear the station uniform in a live fire event!
Today we received a beautiful tribute to our members in appreciation of their care and response during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NZPFU welcomes the announcement this afternoon that $50 million of the Government’s “shovel-ready” projects will fund the building and upgrading of fire stations. This funding is sorely needed. But already FENZ has failed to prioritise that funding to address community risk and firefighter safety.
The NZPFU cannot support the introduction of a code of conduct and behaviour when FENZ fails to live by its values.
You can now have a NZPFU beanie to keep you warm this winter!
We know that some former members are frustrated with the delays in being notified if they are owed payments, and if so when that payment will be made. We are passing on all those queries to the appropriate personnel at FENZ and following up on progress. They should be receiving their calculations, and be receiving any payment outstanding.
Interesting times are ahead for us all. In the past weeks, we have met with FENZ management around two significant outstanding issues; medical co response recognition and Auckland task force recommendations/solutions.
The NZPFU has a successful meeting with the UFBA and FENZ reaching agreement to involve psychologists in a working group to develop and monitor appropriate research into mental wellness.
NZPFU and PSA representatives have been meeting with Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery Kerry Gregory and other FENZ representatives over the past two days to discuss the proposed Tranche 2B roles.
I hereby declare Robert Francis Hutchison elected Central Branch Secretary.
The NZPFU will be meeting with FENZ to discuss the scope and nature of proposed research into mental wellness.
Central Branch Members are reminded to ensure they have their electronic vote in for the election of Central Branch Secretary by 1800 Monday
29 June 2020.
The publicity of a possible Covid-19 case at the IBIS hotel in Rotorua has raised concerns for our trainers and trainees and other members at the National Training Centre.
This week NZPFU representatives and a specialist engineer met with FENZ representative’s to push for necessary investigations into the structure and safety of the Napier Fire Station be undertaken with urgency so that the necessary re-build and remediation work can begin.
As of the 16th of June, St John call takers are no longer officially questioning around Covid-19 symptoms or triggers.
Due to the recent resignation of the Whangarei Local President, nominations are hereby called for this position in accordance with the Rules of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.
FENZ has now distributed their “re-consultation” documentation which impacts on the number and configuration of CFF and RR positions.
The Local continues to receive reports from members about the state of the emergency response fleet (Red Fleet) throughout Auckland, including Trucks not being able to respond to emergency incidents due to faults and break downs.
Today, the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General provided its report “Minister of Health: Management of personal protective equipment in response to Covid-19” to Parliament.
Electronic voting for the election of the Central Branch Secretary was launched yesterday (0800 Sunday 14 June) and will close at 1800 Monday 29 June 2020.
Electronic voting for the election of the Central Branch Secretary will be launched 0800 Sunday 14 June and will close at 1800 Monday 29 June 2020.
We have been receiving several inquiries from concerned members regarding the letters FENZ provided yesterday disestablishing FRMO roles and a notice of redundancy.
FRMOs will have received letters stating that their positions will be disestablished under Tranche 2B, that the letter constitutes a letter of redundancy and that new positions will be established and advertised next week.
New Zealand passed a significant milestone at midnight last night with the move to Level 1 essentially removing all restrictions other than border control.
The NZPFU and PSA have now engaged with FENZ and aware that members affected by the changes will be briefed this week prior to an announcement on Thursday.