FENZ Deputy CE Organisational Strategy & Capability Development Russell Wood has provided an update on the repair of the MAN Type 3 trucks waiting repairs for the cracks issues but was unable to provide any timeline or clear solution.

FENZ is working with the supplier and engineers to determine whether the interim fix undertaken on some of the cracked appliances, and are still debating where the liabilities and costs lie.

In the meantime, NZPFU Locals are reporting the continued dire situation where relief trucks are breaking down raising serious health and safety issues for the community.   The real risk to firefighters has been evident with appliances breaking down, the most serious being the THL Rentals fire where firefighters were forced to retreat after they lost water due to the old pumps breaking down.

The NZPFU has responded to FENZ stating the fix on the MAN trucks has to be a priority and trying to get clarity as to the exact reasons it has taken so long.

In the interim firefighters cannot be deployed in appliances that are not fit for purpose or are unreliable. 

If there are no Type 3 relief appliances available please contact your Local union representative to immediately raise the issue with Area Management to put in place agree to a contingency plan.  That plan may be a relief cascading system that includes the use of volunteer appliances when necessary to maintain safe response.

Members are reminded to thoroughly acceptance test all appliances when changing appliances at their service provider or at a volunteer station.   These checks includes, but are not limited to

• Daily drivers’ checks
• Pressurising and flowing water from the pump
• Pressurising and flowing water from the high pressure hose-reels.
• Primer operation and the ability to hold a prime.
• Relief valve operation
• Pump Engagement and operation
• Relief Valves
• Hose Reel Operation (including rewind)
• Delivery Valves and Pump Gauges
• Tank to Pump Valve
• Water Leaks
• Emergency Response Warning Equipment such as Beacons, Siren and Air Horn
• Oil Leaks
• Vehicle Safety Features such as ABS, Traction Control, Engine retarder, Hand Brake
• Tyre tread and condition
• Headlights, Indicators, Warning gauges
• Door handles, window winder controls, seatbelts
• Locker Body Condition 
• Ensuring there are no outstanding faults in the defect book.

Any appliance with faults should not be accepted.   If any fault is discovered, regardless of how trivial, report it immediately to the Fleet Service Provider, and reject the defective vehicle until all faults are fixed and the appliance is fit for purpose. All faults that have the potential to cause harm should be entered into safe@work.

In order to provide a full picture of the ongoing state of the emergency response fleet in New Zealand, the Union asks that ALL appliance defects are also reported to their Local as well as the Fleet Service Provider and the Region Fleet Manager.   When emailing defects through, can members please include the following detail:

• Call sign
• Registration
• Make
• Model
• Type (3/4/5/6, Other)
• Nature of Defect
• Recurring Fault (Y/N)
• Appliance K0 (Y/N), Time Hrs
• Appliance KE (Y/N)
• Appliance Change Over required (Y/N), Time Hrs

In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary