Rural New Zealand is set to benefit from an amalgamated fire service being introduced later this year.
Area commander for Mid and South Canterbury Paul Henderson said from July 1 the remodelled service, to be called Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), would result in more money being invested in the rural fire service to ensure stations, trucks and equipment were brought up to a higher standard.
Changes would also ensure rural fire crews were not left to their own devices, Mr Henderson said.
‘‘Basically, what happens now [at a vegetation fire incident] . . .the New Zealand Fire Service [NZFS] responds to it and then hands it over to the Rural Fire Authority [RFA].’’
The RFA would then remain on site while the NZFS would leave, he said.
However, from July 1, firefighters would be part of ‘‘one big organisation’’, which would ensure all groups that attended a callout, stayed on site to fight the blaze, no matter whether they were rural or urban based.
The Department of Conservation’s fire service would remain as it was now, but would be contracted to FENZ.
At least one change had already been introduced in the Mid and South Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Fire Service with urban and rural teams now working from the same building in Timaru. Previously, the rural fire authority representative was based at the Timaru District Council.
Mr Henderson said FENZ would be ‘‘hugely advantageous’’ to the entire country.
‘‘Probably the best investment will be increased support for volunteers,’’ he said.
Federated Farmers vicepresident Anders Crofoot said his organisation supported the amalgamation, which will bring the NZFS, the National Rural Fire Authority, 12 rural fire districts and 26 territorial rural fire authorities under the same umbrella.
Farmers were initially concerned the NZFS would be the dominant player in the new partnership, to the detriment of rural communities, Mr Crofoot said.
‘‘But consultation has been extensive . .. ’’ he said.
‘‘The consultation continues, which gives me great confidence it is not a NZ Fire Service takeover, nor will rural communities be dictated to by corporate suits in Wellington, as one critic has put it.’’
St Andrews Volunteer Fire Brigade Acting Chief Fire Officer Rob Usmar said the amalgamation would have many benefits.
‘‘It’s all good stuff — as long as it gets put in place and works well, it will certainly be a good thing,’’ he said.
‘‘I don’t think there’s been any great negative thought about it at all. I think if it’s done properly and the money is spent wisely . . .it will be a really good thing.’’
